Why George Pickens should make more money than A.J. Brown on next Cowboys contract

Despite the drama, Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens arrived at minicamp. But that doesn’t mean the team should pay him more than CeeDee Lamb. However, here is why Pickens should make more money than AJ Brown on his next Cowboys contract.

Brown recently got traded to the Patriots. He is expected to be their lead dog in 2026. Meanwhile, Pickens is in a 1A/1B situation with Lamb in Dallas.

So does that mean Brown should automatically make more money than Pickens? Not so fast.

Is Cowboys WR George Pickens a top-10 NFL receiver?

Last year’s results say yes. The four-year veteran caught 93 passes for 1,429 yards with nine touchdowns in 2025. Clearly, he was the Cowboys’ most effective weapon.

If you only look at last year, Pickens is not only top 10 but probably in the top five. And the NFL has long been a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league.

If Pickens hit the open market, he probably would exceed the contract value recently cashed in by the Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The $42 million deal stands at the top of the NFL, according to spotrac.com.

But again, if Pickens could sign with any team for the 2026 season, he could ask for, and probably get, $43 million per year. The length of the contract might be a sticking point. But there’s little doubt Pickens could crush the market.

Let’s remember that Pickens is only 25 years old. There’s a reasonable chance he could have five more years of elite NFL production. Furthermore, the Steelers didn’t exactly ride him like a workhorse his first three seasons. He received 84, 106, and 103 targets with only one 1,000-yard season.

There’s not only plenty left in the age tank, Pickens’ potentially has tons remaining in the wear-and-tear tank.

Now, let’s look at Brown.

Patriots’ AJ Brown is getting up there in age

When talking about contracts, Brown’s age comes to the forefront. He’s not super old, but he will turn 29 in June. Most receivers hit a wall when they turn 30, so this could be his last top-level season. That’s a little stern, but it’s a possibility based on the history of the position.

Another factor against Brown is the wear and tear. He had 145 targets in 2022. Then he added 158 in 2023. Brown only played in 13 games in 2024 and totaled 97 targets. But he bumped back up to 121 last year.

Comparing age and usage, Pickens easily exceeds Brown as the better dollar-for-dollar value.

But what about other factors? Pickens has been known as a questionable influence in the locker room. That cloud follows him into contract negotiations.

However, when compared with Brown, it’s not the same gap as it is with CeeDee Lamb. Brown brings his own baggage to the contract negotiation table. It’s not that Brown was considered a bad teammate. But there were things that just didn’t look good and may have helped hold the Eagles back from a chance at a repeat Super Bowl title.

Still, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni didn’t take a shot at Brown after he left, according to ESPN.

“I would say there were a lot of good years here and done a lot of good things with A.J. here,” Sirianni said. “I would say it was a good run.”

What is the bottom line for George Pickens and AJ Brown?

When it comes down to a comparison between two players, everything else has to be pushed aside. Which player is worth more money? for the 2026 season, it’s clearly Pickens. Brown barely reached the 1,000-yard mark in 2025. Pickens burned the NFL for 1,429 yards.

Yes, the Cowboys had a much more consistent and better offense than the Eagles last year. But let’s look at a key point. Pickens had to compete down in and down out with Lamb. There’s no doubt that Lamb is a top-five receiver in the NFL. He’s paid accordingly.

Meanwhile, Brown competed with DeVonta Smith. Smith ranks No. 18 in the league with an average salary of $25 million per year. Basically, there is no comparison between Lamb and Smith. Pickens produced at an All-Pro level despite having Lamb on the other side. That’s hard to do.

And when it comes time to get paid, that’s the type of thing that makes an NFL team put more cash on the table. And the lion’s share should go to Pickens instead of Brown.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out for the Patriots. They might be willing to go the extra mile to keep Brown happy. They reached the Super Bowl last year, and believe Brown is a missing piece to get them over the top in 2026.

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