George Pickens Can Be 'Scary' with Cowboys, Says Schottenheimer amid Contract, Trade Rumors

After star receiver George Pickens signed his franchise tender with the Dallas Cowboys for the 2026 season, head coach Brian Schottenheimer is excited to have him for another year.

Schottenheimer declared that he's expecting an even bigger season from Pickens in his second year in the Cowboys' offense.

"Where he can continue to go and grow is scary because what he did last year was amazing. And the more you watch the film, then you see it and you're just kind of like, 'Whoa.' It's just different," Schottenheimer said Saturday, per Grant Gordon of NFL.com. "We've got a lot of really good football players, and he's certainly at the top of that list along with some of our other studs."

Pickens earned his first career Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro honors after producing career highs of 93 catches, 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in his first year in Dallas. Still, the Cowboys opted to place the franchise tag on him before deciding not to negotiate a long-term deal with him.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Sunday's episode of SportsCenter that Pickens "at least looked around, gauged his market what a potential trade could look like if he could come to one with compensation and a new deal" before ultimately signing the franchise tender to remain in Dallas. He will make $27 million in 2026 before becoming a free agent again next offseason.

"It makes us excited that we know that we plan on George being here, and George I think is really excited about coming back," Schottenheimer added. "My word I've used is always evolve. We're in the process of evolving, but it doesn't have to happen tomorrow or a week from now. It's going to happen."