The Dallas Cowboys went into the offseason looking for a wide receiver to pair with CeeDee Lamb, and they got their man when they acquired George Pickens in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

A mercurial talent, Pickens has a 1,000-yard season under his belt and should at least give Dallas the type of secondary threat they haven’t had since Michael Gallup posted a 1,000-yard campaign in 2019. But Pickens is also entering the final year of his rookie contract, putting pressure on the front office not to make him a short-term rental.

While the Cowboys are not currently in extension talks with Pickens, that could change if he has a hot start to the season, and Dallas’s reluctance may have screwed themselves over after the latest wide receiver extension on Monday.

Garrett Wilson’s Extension Complicates’ George Pickens’s Future with Cowboys

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the New York Jets have agreed to a four-year, $130 million contract with wide receiver Garrett Wilson. The deal includes $90 million guaranteed and sends a shockwave throughout the NFL as receivers look to get the bag before training camp.

This group includes Pickens. A second-round pick out of Georgia in 2022, Pickens had a strong rookie year with 801 yards and four touchdowns and built on it with 63 catches for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns in 2023. His numbers dropped to 59 catches for 900 yards and three touchdowns last season, but some of his struggles could be chalked up to an unstable quarterback situation between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields and the unimaginative playcalling of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

Still, the Steelers acquired D.K. Metcalf in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks and gave Pickens the boot this offseason. Even if he doesn’t ball out in Dallas, Wilson’s contract could set him up to get paid in the coming months.

Wilson has three straight 1,000-yard seasons under his belt, but that typically doesn’t get a receiver paid. Lamb had to wait for his extension until after his fourth season and ultimately agreed to a four-year, $136 million contract last summer, while Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings and Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals also had to wait until after their fourth year to earn massive extensions.

Schefter also noted that no receiver in NFL history has received an average salary with an average over $31 million after three seasons, giving Pickens more incentive to go crazy this year.

This could benefit the Cowboys in the short term if Pickens has a massive season with dollar signs in his eyes. But it could also create a long-term issue if Dallas wants to keep him around beyond this season. For now, Pickens has said he hasn’t thought about his contract situation past this