Star WR George Pickens has been the highlight for the Dallas Cowboys this offseason, but there could come a decision regarding CeeDee Lamb at some point down the road. Lamb, a former first-round pick, has spent the entirety of his career with the team, becoming the alpha of the Cowboys offense, recording 7,416 receiving yards for 41 touchdowns. Meanwhile, reports say that his current contract was a reason the team decided to franchise tag Pickens instead of handing out a long-term deal. ESPN’s Dan Graziano explained what this means for the future regarding Lamb and Pickens in Dallas:
“There are a few reasons the Cowboys want to see Pickens do it again before deciding whether to commit long-term money to him,” He said. “They’re already paying wide receiver CeeDee Lamb an average of $34 million per year, and carrying two of the highest-paid receivers in the league would be a salary cap challenge.”
Realistically, unless they want to take the Bengals route of having two expensive receivers in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, it will most likely be impossible to pay Pickens a long-term contract. The Cowboys may have to sacrifice something on defense, for example, DeMarvion Overshown is due for a new deal, too, next offseason. Dallas, unfortunately, dug itself into a hole where if Pickens balls out for another season, the price only goes up.
Ceedee lamb
Main Photo: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Latest Cowboys George Pickens News Could Influence $136 Million Stunning CeeDee Lamb Trade
The good news is that Lamb said he was open to restructuring his current deal to keep Pickens. While that might be the case now, feelings always change over time, and if he has a breakout year, too, it will get complicated for the Cowboys next offseason. It’s something to watch over the next few months unless Pickens requests a trade out of nowhere before the 2026 season.
Decision Time for Dallas
The Cowboys can’t afford to have two receivers in the books on high-end deals. This means there’s a possibility that the team will have to pick between Pickens and Lamb next offseason. The last time they had to choose between two players was several years ago, when they had a former RB DeMarco Murray and WR Dez Bryant waiting for new deals. This time, it will be two receivers.
It doesn’t help that the Seahawks extended Jaxon Smith-Njigba, which means Pickens will ask for more money. He has every right to, but it doesn’t mean Dallas will be open to it. If the Cowboys want to trade Lamb, they may consider all options on the table to make it happen. Lamb will turn 29-years-old once he’s eligible for a new deal, which makes things more complicated.
It might be sensible to keep Pickens as their long-term WR1 while figuring out what to do with Lamb’s future. For now, let’s assume it’s a dream scenario where a trade involving Lamb happens, and these two teams could be dream landing spots.
Possible Dream Spots
Los Angeles Chargers
It’s too early to call, but the Los Angeles Chargers could be a perfect fit for Lamb to operate as their new WR1, especially for QB Justin Herbert. The offense has lacked a superstar for too long since the Mike Williams and Keenan Allen prime days. Ladd McConkey is solid, but he’s going to need more help in the aerial attack if this offense wants success. The team selected Brenen Thompson, but he won’t be ready for starting reps.
If the Chargers can trade Quentin Johnston at some point before his rookie deal is over, the team could ask Dallas about the availability of Lamb in the future.
Baltimore Ravens
Meanwhile, the Ravens are another interesting destination. Pickens was linked to the Ravens several times in a trade, but Lamb might be the receiver leaving Dallas for Baltimore. After hiring Jesse Minter, things can change for this offense, especially with Rashod Bateman coming off a lackluster 2025 campaign. Lamb and Zay Flowers sound like an exciting duo for QB Lamar Jackson.