Mike Tomlin Makes Blunt George Pickens Admission After Cowboys' Contract Decision

George Pickens enters a prove-it year in Dallas as he looks to earn Jerry Jones' trust and a long-term deal with the Cowboys.

by Yagya Bhargava

Sep 6, 2026

Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens

Kirby Lee - Imagn Images via Reuters Connect

George Pickens has been one of the most talked-about names in Dallas Cowboys training camp this summer, and that’s saying something for a team built around Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. The receiver is doing it all while playing under the franchise tag, giving Brian Schottenheimer and offensive coordinator Klayton Adams even more confidence in an offense that already features Javonte Williams out of the backfield.

Pickens’ contract situation dominated headlines for much of the offseason. Dallas never came to terms on the long-term deal he was chasing, settling instead on a $27.3 million franchise tag. His production – 93 catches, 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns in 2025 – was good enough for his first Pro Bowl.

Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens

Jerome Miron - Imagn Images via Reuters Connect

None of that success is new territory for Pickens. He put up big numbers under Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh, too, and the Steelers still didn’t hand him a long-term extension before shipping him off to Dallas. Now, even after a Pro Bowl year with the Cowboys, the same question keeps following him around the league.

Tomlin addressed that lingering question directly this week, saying flatly that his former receiver still “has something to prove.” The former Steelers coach opened up on The Rich Eisen Show, and he made clear his answer had nothing to do with talent.

“I can’t speak for what transpired in Dallas in terms of what he has to prove to those guys in an effort to secure a long-term deal or be a component of their long-term plans,” Tomlin said. “For us, I just thought it’s not only play, but its development in other areas, intangible areas. I think you’re a high-dollar, second-contract guy there’s some leadership responsibilities and things of that nature. And I just don’t feel like that was in his natural wheelhouse.”

Tomlin’s larger point centered on leadership, maturity, and trust built off the field that comes with a second contract at that price point, not just production on it.

Pickens is “spectacular” by his own former coach’s admission, but earning that kind of long-term commitment has always come with a higher bar for him, whether it was in Pittsburgh or now in Dallas.

Pickens and the Cowboys will open the 2026 season against the New York Giants on Sunday, Sept. 13, at MetLife Stadium.