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By Robert Marvi
Contributing Sports Writer
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After back-to-back losses, the Dallas Cowboys may not have been mathematically eliminated from contention for a spot in the NFL playoffs, but they're almost certainly out of the running for one. They hold a 6-7-1 record, and they will need a mini-miracle in order to make it to the postseason.
They do, however, have some reason to believe they will reach the playoffs and even do a little damage there next season. They currently have the NFL's fourth-best scoring offense and lead everyone in total yards and first downs, and a big reason for that offensive prowess has been wide receiver George Pickens.
Through 14 games, he has caught 81 passes for 1,212 yards and eight touchdowns, and all those numbers are career highs for him. But he will be a free agent at the conclusion of this season, and after the Cowboys mishandled Micah Parsons' contract situation, there is some natural anxiety about where he will play in 2026.
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Dallas sports fans may take a bit of solace in what Jon Machota of The Athletic wrote about what will happen with Pickens this offseason. It isn't exactly what they want to hear, but if he is correct, Pickens will still be wearing a Cowboys uniform next fall.
"If I had to predict today, Pickens will end up getting the franchise tag," Machota wrote. "He obviously won’t like that idea. I just have my doubts about Jerry Jones’ being able to get a deal done with David Mulugheta after how ugly things got with Micah Parsons. Jones could prove me wrong, but the tag is more likely at this point. Either way, I don’t see a scenario where Pickens is playing anywhere but Dallas next season."
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The Cowboys acquired Pickens this past offseason from the Pittsburgh Steelers, along with a 2027 sixth-round draft pick, for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round selection. They had been searching for a legitimate WR2 behind CeeDee Lamb for a while, and he gave them their first such player since Amari Cooper was still on their roster in 2021.
Roster building has been an issue for them. Plenty of fans have criticized their personnel moves, and owner Jerry Jones has gotten plenty of criticism for doing double duty as the franchise's general manager, rather than hiring a competent executive who has a proven track record to fill that role.
After trading Parsons to the Green Bay Packers just prior to Week 1 of this season, Dallas' biggest problem has been defense. The acquisition of veteran defensive lineman Quinnen Williams in early November seemed to help at first, but the team gave up 34 points this past Sunday to the Minnesota Vikings and 44 points to the Detroit Lions on Dec. 4.
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The Cowboys haven't won the Super Bowl championship or even made it to the NFC Championship game since the 1995 season. If they fail to keep Pickens one way or another this spring, Jones may find himself being pursued by a group of fans holding pitchforks.
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