The Dallas Cowboys enter Week 7 with a 2-3-1 record, and the one bright spot through six games has been their offense.
Led by quarterback Dak Prescott and offseason acquisition George Pickens at wide receiver, the unit has been one of the best in the NFL, even with CeeDee Lamb sidelined for the past three weeks due to an ankle injury.
Pickens, who is set to become a free agent this offseason, has been a major talking point for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. The wide receiver is off to the best start of his NFL career this season, recording 32 receptions for 525 yards and six touchdowns.
Despite Pickens' strong performance, Jones made it clear this week that while the player has earned the potential to be paid at his desired level, the team isn't ready to commit to a deal just yet.
"I don’t want to sit here and… as you know, there's even a competition to it," Jones said. "He is doing more than we expected or could have expected, and what's really special is he's a real plus to have around the team. He's a real plus around his teammates, he's a great presence around those coaches, and those coaches really think highly of him.
“So he's not only contributing on the field, he's doing it as part of the team concept, which is very important and should be noted. But we'll weigh [contract extension talks]. We knew full well that if things really went the way we wanted them to, then we certainly need to think about having some room available if we're going to pay a second receiver at that level."
On Thursday, reporters asked Prescott about Pickens. Prescott revealed that he is definitely encouraging Jerry Jones to secure Pickens long-term, but emphasized that those conversations will happen in private.
"I've been a little busy, but I will," Prescott said. "When I run into him in that time of privacy, I'll make sure."
Prescott's comments certainly put pressure on Jones to lock up Pickens long-term alongside Lamb. However, one thing has been clear this offseason - and in years past - it's that Jones operates on his own timeline, making decisions when he feels it's right.
That approach was evident when he opted not to pay star pass rusher Micah Parsons this offseason, ultimately leading to Parsons being traded to the Green Bay Packers, who then signed him to a deal.
Currently, the Cowboys' biggest struggles come on the defensive side of the ball. They've given up 20 or more points in every game this season, and in four of six games, they've allowed 30-plus points.
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