Cowboys Could Pivot to NFL’s Biggest Deep Threat if Pickens Leaves
George Pickens arrived in Dallas with loads of potential and a lot of questions surrounding his game. For the most part, he has silenced all doubters with a season that will be the best of his four-year career if he continues on the same trajectory.
On the field, Pickens has been everything the Cowboys hoped for. Through Week 10, he has 49 catches for 764 yards and six touchdowns, ranking fourth in the league in receiving yards while averaging 15.6 yards per catch.
The club sent a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Pickens and a 2027 sixth, and it’s fair to say he has repaid them. This is the final year of his rookie deal, though, and he’s set to hit free agency in March of 2026.
There’s little doubt the Cowboys want him back — ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler reported on November 12 that Dallas could use the franchise tag on Pickens if a long term extension isn’t reached, so it looks like he’s probably sticking around. If something happens and the Cowboys decide to move on, though, they could have a very attractive option in free agency.
Dallas Cowboys Could Target Colts WR Alec Pierce If They Lose George Pickens
GettyThe Dallas Cowboys could potentially target WR Alec Pierce of the Indianapolis Colts in 2026 free agency if they don’t re-sign George Pickens.
K.D. Drummond of Cowboys Wire listed several pending free agents who “could be targets” for the Cowboys next offseason, and Indianapolis Colts receiver Alec Pierce was among the most intriguing.
“If the Cowboys don’t bring back Pickens, Pierce is looking like a beautiful consolation prize,” Drummond wrote. “He’s excelling now that he has a competent QB throwing him the ball (can anyone believe that’s being said about Daniel Jones?) and his deep-threat ability mirrors Pickens’ impact on the Dallas offense.”
Like Pickens, Pierce was a 2022 second-rounder, taken 53rd overall by the Colts out of Cincinnati. At 6-foot-3 and 211 pounds, he offers similar size but a subtly different game. Pierce is more of a deep-ball threat, and he’s an asset more for his explosiveness than he is for his production and volume.
With the likelihood the team will re-sign quarterback Daniel Jones to a hefty deal, the chances of the Colts also being able to keep Pierce around may not be good.
A Closer Look at Pierce’s Game
Pierce’s career stats haven’t been as impressive as Pickens’ have. Through Week 10 of the 2025 season, he has 138 catches for 2,516 yards and 12 touchdowns, a robust 18.5 yards per reception over four years in Indianapolis.
He led the NFL with 22.3 yards per catch in 2024, turning 37 receptions into 824 yards and seven scores. This year has been more of the same. He’s hauled in 28 passes for 585 yards and one touchdown, again leading the league in yards per grab (20.9 ypc).
Based on Pickens’ elite production thus far in Dallas coupled with his tangible on-field chemistry with QB Dak Prescott, it’s difficult to picture Cowboys owner Jerry Jones letting the talented young receiver get away. But as we’ve learned over the past year, anything is possible where Jones is concerned. If things with Pickens don’t work out, Pierce would be a solid big-play option for Prescott, no doubt.
We’ll see how the rest of the season plays out first.
Broncos Linked to Explosive $140 Million Pro Bowl Playmaker
The Denver Broncos’ quest to build out their roster has not ended, but one of the moves they did not make has come back to light. According to a new report, the Broncos had designs on signing veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs this past offseason.
Diggs ultimately signed with the New England Patriots, who were playing the New York Jets on “Thursday Night Football” when the news dropped.
A lot of time has passed since then, but it paints a clear picture of the Broncos’ plans.
Broncos Were Finalists for Stefon Diggs
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport joined the pregame show before the Patriots’ game and detailed what went into New England signing Diggs, including beating out the Broncos for the four-time Pro Bowler and 2020 First Team All-Pro’s services.
Diggs, the No. 146 overall pick of the 2015 draft who has earned over $140 million in his career, signed a three-year, $63.5 million contract with the Patriots.
However, fate may have brought Diggs to New England and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
“Signing Stefon Diggs was the end of a decades-long quest for Mike Vrabel,” Rapoport reported on “TNF Tonight” on November 13. “Vrabel recruited Diggs out of high school, when he was an assistant at Ohio State. Didn’t get him, was mad about it. When Diggs became available this spring, his agent sent video to the Patriots, just three months after the ACL tear. He was running, cutting. Good sign. Ahead of schedule. It came down to the Broncos or Patriots. Five months from passing a physical, the Patriots signed up. A big-time leap of faith.”
Sentimentality and outcome aside, the Broncos had financial reasons to avoid making the kind of investment into Diggs that the Patriots did. It largely has to do with their financial outlook and how the Patriots structured Diggs’ deal.
Diggs entered Thursday’s contest with 50 receptions for 554 yards and 3 touchdowns, which would have ranked first, second, and third, respectively, on the Broncos.
He finished the contest, a 27-14 Patriots win, with a 9-105-0 line.
Broncos Avoided Risky Investment
Diggs, 31, has an $8.7 million cap hit this season, which the Broncos – who Over The Cap says have $4.6 million in space – could have worked to make room for. However, his cap hit jumps to $26.5 million in 2026 and 2027.
Again, the Broncos could have squeezed those dollar amounts in with projections of $47.6 million in space in 2026 and $68.6 million in 2027.
However, they signed Courtland Sutton to a four-year, $92 million extension this past summer.
That is a lot of capital to invest into the wide receiver position, even with Bo Nix on a cost-controlled rookie-scale contract. Instead, the Broncos will pay a combined $38 million for the trio of Evan Engram at tight end and defensive players Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga.
Diggs has missed more than two games in a single season three times in his career, and just once (2024) since the 2016 season.
The Broncos have leaned on their young receivers, Marvin Mims, Pat Bryant, and Troy Franklin.
They were also linked to wide receivers before the trade deadline, which could underscore the veracity of Rapoport’s report.
