The player most immediately impacted by the new Jaxon Smith-Njigba contract is Cowboys receiver George Pickens, who has seen the bar for his next deal move to at least $42.15 million per year — even though he’s boxed in by the $27.298 million franchise tag. Another player’s immediate financial future has been affected by the JSN contract.
Like Smith-Njigba, Rams receiver Puka Nacua has had three great NFL seasons. And Nacua has more catches (313 vs. 282), more yards (4,191 vs. 3,551), and more total touchdowns (21 vs. 20).
Both were unanimous All-Pro selections in 2025. Smith-Njigba won the offensive player of the year award. Nacua finished third.
Like JSN, Puka is eligible for a new deal. Unlike Smith-Njigba, Puka is entering the last year of his rookie contract.
Nacua is due to make $5.7 million in 2026, a number that has been increased over the slotted amount based on his performance to date. But that’s a far cry from the new market value.
A four-year contract with a $43 million new-money APY becomes a five-year, $177.7 million deal. It’s a $35.54 million per year value from signing.
On Monday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network suggested that the Rams will wait to do Nacua’s deal until “further into the summer.”
Regardless of the time, Nacua shouldn’t set foot on a practice field until he gets his next contract. And the longer the Rams wait, the more expensive it will be. Especially if the Cowboys wake up from their chronic contractual foot dragging and drive the market even higher than it currently is by paying Pickens.
Ultimately, the market is the market. And the market keeps going up. Because the salary cap keeps going up. That’s the way the business works. The cap has exploded from $182.5 million to $301.2 million in only five years. And Nacua has proven his value.
Through three years, the Rams have gotten tremendous value. For those 313 catches, 4,191 receiving yards, and 21 total touchdowns, the Rams have paid $2.93 million — an average of less than $1 million per year.
It’s time to pay the piper. Or the Puka. Or whatever.
It never gets cheaper. That’s why the Seahawks moved when they did. And it’s why the Cowboys and Rams shouldn’t wait. The bar will keep going up. Pickens and Nacua should be the next two receivers to benefit from that simple NFL business reality.
Free agent offensive guard Robert Jones is signing with the 49ers, NFL Media reports.
Jones, 27, signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Cowboys last offseason but did not play a down. He broke a bone in his neck during a training camp practice in July and spent the season on injured reserve.
He visited the 49ers earlier Monday.
Jones, an undrafted free agent in 2021, spent four seasons with the Dolphins. He played 49 games, starting 30, including all 17 at left guard in 2024.
He played 1,078 snaps in 2024 and has 2,025 in his career.
The Cowboys re-signed cornerback Corey Ballentine, according to the NFL’s transactions report.
Ballentine, who turns 30 next month, spent part of last season with the team. The Cowboys signed him to the practice squad on Sept. 25 after the Patriots waived him, and Ballentine bounced between the practice squad and the active roster.
In five games, he made two tackles, seeing action on 23 defensive snaps and 47 on special teams.
The Giants made him a sixth-round pick in 2019, and he has also played for the Jets, Lions and Packers.
In his career, Ballentine has totaled 103 tackles, an interception, nine passes defensed and two forced fumbles in 75 games. He has made 11 starts.
The 49ers met with a possible addition to their offensive line.
The NFL’s daily transaction report for Monday shows that Robert Jones came in for a visit with the team.
Jones signed with the Dolphins after going undrafted out of Middle Tennessee State in 2021. He started 13 of the 30 games he played in his first two seasons and then started every game at left guard for Miami in 2024.
The Cowboys signed Jones last year, but he missed the entire season with a neck injury.
The 49ers saw one starting guard move on in free agency when Spencer Burford signed with the Raiders, but Dominick Puni remains under contract with the NFC West team.
When it comes to paying star players, it never pays to wait.
The Cowboys learned that lesson (again) on Monday, when the market for the receiver position moved from $40 million per year to $42.15 million per year, thanks to the new contract signed by Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
That’s particularly relevant to Cowboys receiver George Pickens, whose path to free agency was blocked by the franchise tag. He’ll make $27.298 million without a long-term contract. And his desire to get a long-term deal will only become stronger, now that two other receivers have made it to the $40 million threshold.
The Cowboys and Pickens have until July 15 to get a multi-year deal signed. There has been no indication that any negotiations have begun. The Cowboys will likely push it to the deadline, while also lamenting Pickens’s absence from the offseason program.
Regardless, the price will keep going up. The Rams likely will be signing receiver Puka Nacua to a new deal, sooner than later. He’ll quite possibly be the next player to get to $40 million per year. That will make Pickens even more determined to get there.
No, delays never help get deals done. Especially since the Cowboys may have been able to get Pickens signed during the 2025 season for something less than $40 million per year.
Still, it’s on brand. They take too long to pay their stars. They did it with Dak Prescott. They did it with Ezekiel Elliott. They did it with CeeDee Lamb. They did it with Micah Parsons — and it blew up on them.
What will happen with Pickens? That’s largely up to the Cowboys. But the market is the market, and the market has once again changed. If the Cowboys truly want to keep him, they need to dig deep. If they keep dragging their feet, they’ll eventually need to dig ever deeper.
