Brass tax time.
The Dallas Cowboys are paying NFL All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb roughly $34 million per year on a 4-year, $136 million contract extension he signed in August 2024.
The deal made Lamb one of the highest paid NFL wide receivers of all time. It’s something teammate George Pickens seems in line to become as well following a breakout season in 2025 and headed into free agency — barring the Cowboys using the franchise tag.
In no universe can the Cowboys afford both Pickens and Lamb. Dallas is already over $30 million in the red when it comes to their 2026 salary cap. They’re going to have to slash and burn contracts and try to offload assets this offseason in ways that might shock the fanbase.
Now that the Cowboys have seen what they can do with 2 elite wide receivers, don’t expect them to go away from that anytime soon, either. We’ve seen the best version of the Cowboys offense in 2025 with quarterback Dak Prescott airing it out to Lamb and Pickens.
What the Cowboys might be smart to do is try to find someone to pair with Lamb in the NFL draft, and Bleacher Report thinks that might be Indiana star wide receiver Elijah Sarratt.
From B/R on December 13: “The Indiana product above could be the perfect replacement for George Pickens if Pickens isn’t re-signed.”
How Sarratt Became Top NFL Prospect
Sarratt, 6-foot-2 and 209 pounds, has taken a circuitous path to becoming a top NFL prospect with the Hoosiers, who are undefeated and have the No. 1 seed in the upcoming College Football Playoff — perhaps the greatest turnaround in College Football History.
Coming out of prep football powerhouse St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Sarratt was a zero-star recruit and starred at FCS St. Francis (Pa.) as a true freshman in 2022. He transferred to James Madison for the 2023 season, where he earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors with 82 receptions for 1,191 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Sarratt made the leap to a Power Four program with Indiana in 2024 and is a 2-time All-Big Ten pick. He has 104 receptions for 1,650 receiving yards and an incredible 20 touchdowns over the last 2 seasons, including 12 touchdowns in 11 games in 2025.
“Elijah Sarratt has emerged as a high-volume target with WR1 potential and late-game playmaking to become a difference-maker in the NFL,” Bleacher Report’s Damian Parson wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “Sarratt’s game combines strong hands, route-running, and an infectious desire to make impactful plays when his team needs them.”
Parting Ways With Pickens Might Not Be Bad Idea
While it’s impossible to project Sarratt might come anywhere close to the high level stats Pickens produces — he’s third in the NFL in receiving with 78 receptions for 1,179 yards and 8 touchdowns — it’s almost a guarantee he won’t come with the same type of headaches.
Pickens is a true wild card. In one week, he can dominate opponents and wow everyone in the stadium. Another week, like against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 10, he can end up benched for the first series after missing a team bus from the hotel to the stadium.
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