Stephen Jones says keeping CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens long term could be difficult, even as Dallas hopes both stars force the issue with huge seasons.
The Dallas Cowboys may have built one of the NFL’s most dangerous wide receiver duos — and now they’re staring at the bill.
Executive vice president Stephen Jones acknowledged this week that keeping CeeDee Lamb and George Pickenstogether beyond 2026 could become a major salary-cap challenge, a notable shift from his more optimistic comments less than a month ago.
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Lamb is already locked into a massive deal. Before the 2024 season, he signed a four-year, $136 million extension, an average of $34 million per year.
Pickens is in a different spot.
He’ll play the 2026 season on the one-year, $27.3 million franchise tag after a career year in which he caught 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns.
If he puts together another season anywhere near that level, his next contract won’t be cheap.
Jones made that clear.
Dallas has figured out how to make the numbers work for now, but he admitted paying two receivers at or near the top of the market is difficult. That creates an unusual situation for a Cowboys offense built around Dak Prescott throwing to two legitimate No. 1-caliber weapons.
Other teams have done it, at least temporarily.
Cincinnati committed major money to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, while Philadelphia previously carried A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith on expensive deals before moving Brown.
But the Cowboys could face an even tougher decision if Pickens continues climbing.
And, strangely enough, that’s the problem Dallas wants.
If Lamb and Pickens both explode in 2026, it likely means Prescott and the offense are functioning at a championship level. It would also push Pickens deeper into the league’s highest-paid receiver conversation.
Jones said Dallas defensive coordinator Christian Parker, who previously saw the Cowboys twice a year from the other sideline, knows firsthand how difficult it is to defend Prescott with both Lamb and Pickens available.
That’s the football argument for keeping them.
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The financial argument is another story.
For now, Dallas gets one more season with both stars in the same offense.
After that, the Cowboys may have to decide just how much an elite receiver tandem is really worth.
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