Emmanuel Acho is calling out the Dallas Cowboys' front office. The analyst believes the team's handling of past contracts for stars like Ezekiel Elliott and Micah Parsons is a bad omen for the current George Pickens situation.

While speaking on Speakeasy, NFL insider Emmanuel Acho raised concerns about how the team has historically sabotaged situations like this: “The Cowboys mishandled these situations four times over now.”

“Ezekiel Elliott was working out in Mexico because Jerry Jones hasn’t figured out that contract situation. Elliott ended up getting paid $90 million, of which you could suggest was mishandled and a mistake because they didn’t have the money to pay Dak Prescott,” said Emmanuel.

Jones is a tough negotiator who historically pushes players to their limits. Ezekiel Elliott was just one such star, and that happened with Dak Prescott's franchise tag. But he isn't the only one. Last season, we saw what happened with Micah Parsons. And the team paid heavily for the same.

The defender did not slow down in the new home. Rather, he recorded 12.5 sacks and 27 QB hits this past season. Well, the Packers reached the playoffs last season, while the Cowboys went home early.

“Micah Parsons is being traded, going to the Green Bay Packers. And now the Dallas Cowboys are in need of an edge rusher. I have seen the Dallas Cowboys mishandle contract situations dating back to Ezekiel Elliott, which would have been 2019,” Emmanuel highlighted.

The insider further advised that if they want to keep Pickens, they should offer him a larger amount or simply let him go.

Jerry Jones' Exact Thoughts On The George Pickens Situation

Despite rumors and speculation, the owner stated their top priority is a long-term deal for George Pickens. "We have contact with the agent, but we haven't been," Jones said when asked if they’ve been in touch with Pickens’ agent.

However, when he was asked whether the deal would be done before the deadline of July 15th, he said, “I don't know. The franchise tag has an automatic timeframe on it, and all of us — and it's my plan — will be working within that timeframe. It should play itself out. Make no mistake about it, we have long-term plans for [George] Pickens.”

While the franchise tag comes with a hefty payday for the 2026 season, it offers no long-term security. The deal is valued at roughly $27 million.

Pickens is looking for a contract in the range of $35-$40 million, similar to the one CeeDee Lamb has. And given that he outperformed Lamb, it might just be something he won't look past.

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Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar