George Pickens is currently playing on the franchise tag at $27.298 million for 2026. That number is on the cap, and it's a heavy number for a one-year with no long-term structure helping the Cowboys out.
The wide receiver has played out of his mind this season. He roasts every defensive coverage and has morphed into a three-level threat: beating man-coverage quickly off the snap, showing fearlessness to attack the middle of the field and stretching away from deep coverage. Klint Kubiak, the Seahawks' offensive coordinator, has channeled the entire Seattle offense through his star receiver. Smith-Njigba lines up everywhere: out wide, in the slot, in the backfield. From any of those looks, he's a matchup nightmare.
He probably feels a lot like Peyton Manning did 10 years ago when his arm was hanging by a thread and the Denver Broncos beat Carolina 24-10 in Super Bowl 50 at Levi's. Or Tom Brady in Super Bowl 53 when the New England Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams 13-3. How about Terry Bradshaw (9 of 14, 86 yards) for Pittsburgh in a 16-6 win over Minnesota in Super Bowl 9?
A big reason the New England Patriots find themselves set to play the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX is the success of their pass rush, which leads the NFL in postseason sacks. Outside linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson has been helping spearhead the defensive unit in that department during the playoffs, with a team-high three sacks and 14 quarterback pressures, the second-highest total league wide.