Wide receiver George Pickens stayed away from the Dallas Cowboys throughout the voluntary portion of the offseason program. He reported for his physical on Monday morning ahead of the start of the team’s mandatory minicamp on Tuesday.
For an update shared on Tuesday morning, NFL insider Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom US suggested that Pickens could make things awkward for the Cowboys behind the scenes later this summer.
NFL teams “monitoring” George Pickens, Cowboys situation?
“Cowboys receiver George Pickens is not pleased about the team’s handling of his contract, according to league sources, and while he has reported to the team this week to avoid financial penalties, this situation will bear monitoring throughout the season,” La Canfora shared.
Pickens signed the franchise tag worth roughly $27.3M for the 2026 season earlier this spring, and the Cowboys later confirmed that he won’t be receiving a multiyear extension from the club before 2027 at the earliest. Back in May, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones essentially challenged Pickens to “answer all those questions.” It’s assumed that the comment was related to the red flags that have hovered over Pickens from the start of his Pittsburgh Steelers tenure (2022-24) through this spring.
“He has a chance to make himself some money there (in Dallas) if he can maximize his production on the tag and do things the right way,” one longtime NFL personnel executive who spoke with La Canfora said about Pickens. “I think Jerry is looking at this as a character test for him.”
Why George Pickens may be upset with the Cowboys
Pickens could have been fined a total of $107,911 if he had skipped the mandatory minicamp sessions because he signed the franchise tender. One wonders if he now regrets signing the tag, as it sounds like the Cowboys may not let him reach free agency in March 2027.
“There is concern within Pickens’ camp that he could be franchise-tagged again in 2027,” La Canfora added, “further compromising his long-term earning potential. That has cast a shadow over his relations with the team and played a role in his staying away from voluntary activities. But the Cowboys hold all of the leverage, and Pickens has no choice but to be around for mandatory work.”
La Canfora also said that Pickens’ history of “antics is a big part of the reason why the Cowboys have been hesitant to engage in a longer arrangement.” Thus, Pickens may have millions of reasons to want to be on his best behavior with the Cowboys for the foreseeable future. For what it is worth, Pickens is not expected to do all that much on the field this week.
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