The Dallas Cowboys have one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Stephen Jones isn't sure exactly how long Dallas will be able to keep that partnership intact.
Jones, the Cowboys' chief operating office (COO) and co-owner, spoke at length about the Cowboys' "unique situation" at receiver during an appearance on the DLLS Cowboys podcast.
"I don't know of any teams that really can pay two top receivers top of the market, so that's gonna be a real difficult situation as we move forward," Jones said. "We've managed to figure out how we can do it for this year. Certainly, if everything works out the way we think it is, which CeeDee and George both have huge years again, then it'll be a bigger challenge next year."
Jones has a point. Only three teams are paying two receivers at least $25 million in average annual value (AAV) entering the 2026 NFL season. They are the Cincinnati Bengals (Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins), the Detroit Lions (Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams) and the Cowboys (Lamb and Pickens).
While Lamb is on a four-year deal that will keep him in Dallas through the 2028 season, Pickens is set to play the 2026 campaign on the franchise tag.
The Cowboys have insisted they are not planning to sign Pickens to an extension since tagging him. The 25-year-old has evidently been OK with that plan, as he signed the tender early in the offseason and reported to the team's training camp without issue.
"George is really wanting to put back-to-back years on top of one another so it'll help his market," Jones said. "And certainly, I know at some point – as does every player in this league – will want to be rewarded with a long-term contract. So that certainly puts pressure on us to have a unique situation there at wide receiver."
Pickens enjoyed a quality first season with the Cowboys in 2025 after coming over from the Pittsburgh Steelers in a trade. He set career-highs in catches (93), receiving yards (1,429) and receiving touchdowns (9) and earned an All-Pro second-team nod for his performance.
The Cowboys are hoping Pickens can repeat his success as part of an offense that Jones, and the rest of Dallas' front office, believes will carry them on their first championship run since 1996.
"Christian Parker will tell you, who went against us twice a year, what a challenge that it was for the Eagles when they played us, and he was on the defensive side of the ball trying to defend Dak [Prescott] and those two receivers," Jones said,"not to mention our running game and [Jake] Ferguson and [Ryan] Flournoy and that situation."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stephen Jones casts doubt on Cowboys keeping CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens long-term
