The Dallas Cowboys are going to have two, 1,000-yard receivers in 2025, and it will likely happen before they reach halftime in their Week 16 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. CeeDee Lamb is just 24 yards away, despite missing 4.5 games due to injury and George Pickens cleared that achievement weeks ago. It didn’t afford them a playoff spot, though, as they are likely going to be eliminated before they step foot on the field for Week 16.
Them’s the breaks, sometimes though. 2025 has been a tough year for the Cowboys, and they will have a monumental offseason ahead of them. One of the key decisions they’ll need to make is what exactly to do with Pickens, who was acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers with just a single year left on his rookie contract. Pickens is in line for a huge payday, but the Cowboys have the ability to franchise tag him to avoid having to compete with other suitors.
A tag doesn’t necessarily mean that Pickens will play for the Cowboys in 2026 though. That’s the likely outcome, but then again it was likely that Micah Parsons was going to be a Cowboy for the foreseeable future, too. The Cowboys could end up tagging and trading Pickens, and they’d more than likely have a strong market of suitors.
If the Cowboys were willing to trade Pickens, they’d engage in trade parameter talks, and then once they decided on the best offer, would allow Pickens’ agent David Mulegheta to negotiate an extension with the target club.
Just who would be included in these talks? We think these seven teams would be calling Jerry Jones’ hotline with expediency once it was made known he was available. They’re separated into teams that would be looking at Pickens as a final piece that can help them contend for a title, or teams that would be looking to build a winner around him.
Now Contender: Denver Broncos
The Broncos have a young, inexpensive QB in Bo Nix, and a dominating defense under DC Vance Joseph. Head coach Sean Payton has weapons at his disposal, but nothing like Pickens and they’re already a championship contender. If they fall short in the playoffs, they’d have every reason to think of themselves as “one player away”.
Now Contender: San Francisco 49ers
Could the Cowboys actually swing a trade with the hated 49ers in this day and age? Kyle Shanahan could certainly use Pickens, though. After losing Deebo Samuel last offseason, Brandon Aiyuk is now on the deactivated list and the team could use a player better than Jujaun Jennings and Ricky Pearsall.
Now Contender: Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers are battling for the No. 1 seed without either of their starting tackles; this is a legit team for the forseeable future. Adding Pickens atop their receiving corps would be a coup in the AFC West.
Soft Contender: Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs are an obvious choice from a personnel standpoint. Their offense has relied on Patrick Mahomes’ magic more and more since they traded away Tyreek Hill years ago, and TE Travis Kelce is out of contract and could retire. Adding Pickens to Rasheed Rice and Xavier Worthy would immediately push them back into contender status after missing the playoffs for the first time in forever.
Soft Contender: Indianapolis Colts
The Colts’ Alec Pierce is a free agent like Pickens and is widely considered the second or third-best option in a market projected to be pretty thin. If the Colts figure out what they’ll do at QB, perhaps they’d be interested in pairing whomever with Pickens instead.
Rebuilding: Las Vegas Raiders
There are many problems with the Raiders, which is why they’ve only won two games this year. But a core group of skill position players of Pickens, Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty is an amazing surrounding cast for the QB they are almost assured of grabbing with their top-3 pick.
Rebuilding: Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are likely to have a top-10 pick and are just as likely to divorce themselves from WR Tyreek Hill, who has just one year remaining on his deal. Dallas wouldn’t likely want Hill as a return, but Miami could be a longshot destination for Pickens, as they’ve proven willing to spend on multiple receivers at one time.
Honorable Mentions: Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Tag & Trade? Chiefs among potential destinations for Cowboys’ Pickens
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