The Dallas Cowboys find themselves in a great spot at wide receiver entering the 2026 NFL season. However, as great as the dynamic duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens is, it could quickly become equally as tough in the not-so-distant future.
While Lamb is under contract after inking a four-year, $136 million extension with the Cowboys in August 2024, Pickens is playing the upcoming season on the franchise tag, worth $27.3 million. It worked out for Dallas to keep both players this coming season, but what about 2027 and beyond? That's where things get significantly tougher, and Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones admitted as much recently, as DLLS Cowboys highlighted.
The situation we have with George Pickens, going alongside CeeDee, I don't know
of any teams that really can pay two top receivers top of the market," Jones said. "So, that's going to be a real difficult situation as we move forward. We managed to figure out how we can do it for this year. 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. George is really wanting to put back-to-back years on top of one another, so it'll help his market and certainly I know at some point [he] will want to be rewarded with a long-term contract."
Stephen Jones: “I don’t know of any teams who can really pay two top receivers top of the market..” pic.twitter.com/0Z0tDclo5E
— DLLS Cowboys (@DLLS_Cowboys) September 2, 2026
It's certainly a unique situation for the Cowboys, and one that, as Jones explained, worked out for this year, but won't be as easy in 2027 if both players produce at a high level once again.
Regardless, the Cowboys are hoping to capitalize on the upside Lamb and Pickens provide to their passing game, which could set quarterback Dak Prescott up for one of the best years of his NFL career.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Stephen Jones gets honest on Cowboys' 'difficult' CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens situation
