The Dallas Cowboys have somewhat created a pipeline of trading for unhappy Pittsburgh Steelers stars who need new contracts negotiated. Last year, the Cowboys signed wide receiver George Pickens. The trade worked out well for Dallas as Pickens truly shined on offense there.
However, throughout the 2025 season, there was a question about Pickens's future in Dallas as he was playing on the last year of his rookie contract. It was assumed he would earn a big payout, especially since he thrived with the Cowboys, but the team ultimately chose to place a one-year franchise tag on him this offseason. So, the question of his future in Dallas remains this season.
Last week, the Cowboys traded for cornerback Joey Porter Jr. out of Pittsburgh. He wasn't happy with the Steelers' contract offer as the second year didn't include as much guaranteed money. So, once again, Porter is now finishing out his rookie deal in Dallas and will hope for a better offer from his new team.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn't always speak on contract situations regarding his players, and it sounds like he's keeping that mindset again this season. He was asked on Wednesday by "105.3 The Fan" if he plans to talk to Pickens and Porter during the season about their contracts, and here's the broad response he gave back. "We have great agreements.
The agreements are in place so that I don’t even have to talk about a question like that. I’m not at all perturbed by the question but we’ve got that put to bed in terms of their business one way or the other. Now, I wouldn’t answer as to whether or not we visit about any of their business during the season other than how they’re playing or how they’re gonna play.” So, once again, it sounds like Pickens and Porter won't know about their future until the 2026 season is over.
But, they both seem to have hope Jones will deliver on what they want in a contract. Pickens isn't standing out as much on the field this season as he's put up 225 yards and zero touchdowns from 18 catches. CeeDee Lamb has more than double the catches and yards, and he's scored four touchdowns this season.
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