George Pickens Trade Rumors Addressed by Cowboys' Stephen Jones, Team's Mindset on Deal Revealed

Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones discussed trade rumors surrounding wide receiver George Pickens, revealing that he still expects the wideout to attend mandatory portions of the team's offseason program.

"Certainly, that's what we expect," Jones said during a Tuesday appearance on Mad Dog Sports Radio, via Jon Machota of The Athletic. "I mean, anytime a player signs a contract and the expectations, as we hold for all of our players, is when you sign up and you're under contract then you're expected to do what your teammates are doing. And certainly, you know, go back to Dak (Prescott), I know (Pickens) is working with Dak and those type of things, but at the end of the day, you know, we will see how this thing plays out."

"There's zero interest in a trade for George Pickens," he added. "Zero interest."

Pickens signed his franchise tag with the Cowboys for the 2026 season on Wednesday, although ESPN's Adam Schefter previously reported that the 25-year-old wanted a long-term contract or a trade.

Still, Jones told reporters April 22 that Dallas wouldn't have negotiations on a long-term deal with Pickens.

If an extension agreement ultimately isn't reached and he plays on the tag next season, he'll earn $27.3 million for his 2026 campaign before hitting free agency in 2027.

Pickens' reported desire for a new contract is understandable, as he's coming off an impressive inaugural season with the Cowboys.

After Dallas acquired him in a May 2025 trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he suited up in all 17 regular-season games in 2025.

Pickens caught a career-high 93 passes for 1,429 yards, averaging 15.4 yards per reception. He also racked up nine touchdowns after finding the end zone eight times over the prior two years combined.

The Cowboys have already made hefty financial commitments to multiple players, signing wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to a four-year deal worth $136 million in Aug. 2024 before handing quarterback Dak Prescott a four-year contract worth $200 million the following month.

It's worth noting that Lamb has been open to restructuring his deal to create more flexibility for a potential Pickens agreement, though.

While the Cowboys may chose to have their No. 2 receiver play on the tag instead, a trade doesn't appear to interest the team.