New George Pickens Rumors Update Cowboys Contract, Trade Buzz Ahead of 2026 NFL Draft

After the Dallas Cowboys declared on Wednesday that they will not negotiate a long-term deal for franchise-tagged wide receiver George Pickens this offseason, some around the NFL are wondering about his trade status.

According to CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones, a source "raised the possibility that the Cowboys are attempting to signal they would be willing to trade Pickens" by announcing that they're willing to let him play out the 2026 season on the franchise tag.

"No team would threaten to send him an offer sheet because they would have to give up two first-round picks to acquire him, on top of the massive deal they would pay," Jones explained. "But if the Cowboys make it known to the player, his agent and, perhaps most importantly, the entire league that they are satisfied with this position this early in the offseason, they may be letting everyone know that said player can be traded for."

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported ahead of Thursday's NFL draft that Pickens has signed his franchise tag, which would allow the team to trade him.

The Cowboys would've had until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal for Pickens, but executive vice president Stephen Jones announced the team's decision not to engage in contract discussions going forward.

"We're so fired up to have George on this football team," Jones said Wednesday at the Cowboys' predraft news conference, per ESPN's Todd Archer. "Obviously, he's been here for a year. We gave up a third-round pick for him, and certainly he's made tremendous progress in the year he's been here. I think he'd be the first to tell you this is a great situation for him, playing with CeeDee [Lamb] and Dak and in Coach [Brian] Schottenheimer's offense. He loves Coach Schottenheimer and what he brings to the table. But certainly, a conscious decision that we've made."

Another source who spoke to Jones theorized that the Cowboys "may have said they won't negotiate with Pickens because they want the player and his representation to come to them with an offer." However, the source added that this is a "negotiating ploy" that is "unlikely to work" on Pickens' agent, David Mulugheta, who also represents former Cowboys star Micah Parsons.

Pickens could choose to sit out until Week 10 of the 2026 season in order to gain an accredited year. If he doesn't report by then, he will be ruled out for the entire season. Jones pointed out that former NFL running back Le'Veon Bell wound up sitting out a full year when he was on the franchise tag, and "it worked to his contractual detriment."

It's likely that Pickens isn't pleased with the Cowboys' stance on contract negotiations, but it sounds like his best course could be to play out the 2026 campaign in hopes of hitting the open market next year.