Nick Wright is blasting the Dallas Cowboys' front office. The analyst believes the team is fumbling its contract situation with star receiver George Pickens.

Speaking on the “First Things First” show, Wright was blunt in saying, “This is why you don’t trade for George Pickens if you don’t have a plan.”

The Cowboys acquired George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers at the start of the 2025 season. In his first-ever season with the Cowboys, he posted a career-high 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

Nick Wright questioned what more Pickens needed to do to earn a long-term deal. “If the season he (Pickens) just had was not enough for you to be like, 'You know what, we are paying him what he is going to want to be paid,' then nothing would have been enough,” he said.

Nick Wright is dismayed that Pickens has not yet received a larger contract, similar to what the Cowboys offered Javonte Williams, who recently signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Cowboys. Pickens is being paid much less, even though his numbers are better than those of another wide receiver on the team, CeeDee Lamb, who earns over $30 million.

"He literally had a better year than anyone could have realistically anticipated, and they're still like, 'Eh, let's do this year to year.' And he doesn't strike me as a guy who's going to be like, "Oh, where do I sign the franchise tag?"

The Cowboys should be looking to avoid another Micah Parsons-like fiasco with Pickens. If they plan to keep Pickens on the roster, they need to be willing to bring out the checkbook sooner or later.

The Cowboys should be wary of how they handle the Pickens contract

If the Cowboys decide to place the franchise tag on George Pickens, there is a possibility that Pickens might sit out the offseason program and training camps.

Added to this, Pickens’ agent David Mulugheta is the same agent who negotiated Micah Parsons’ move to the Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys should be in for a hard negotiation once the franchise tag expires, if they wish to retain Pickens.

Ultimately, the Cowboys must act decisively to retain a player of Pickens' caliber. Fans should be hoping that the offense they saw in action last season will come together again for the 2026 season.

What do you think of the way the Cowboys are handling the Pickens contract situation? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Shyam Hari

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar