The question hanging over George Pickens all spring was whether the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver would make life difficult after the franchise decided not to negotiate a long-term extension before the July 15 deadline. Pickens showed up to mandatory minicamp on Tuesday and answered it directly.
“What’s important to me is winning,” Pickens told reporters, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota, per Machota on X. “Like I said from the beginning, I always wanna bring a Super Bowl to a group of guys that never had that feeling. That’s really the most important part to me.”
He addressed the voluntary OTA absences too, keeping the explanation simple.
“I was listening to my agent,” Pickens said.
Pickens is playing the 2026 season on a $27.3 million franchise tag after the Cowboys placed it on him in March and subsequently informed his agent David Mulugheta they would not hold extension talks for this cycle.
Aug 22, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (3) looks on from the sidelines during the second quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images
Dallas acquired him from the Pittsburgh Steelers last offseason for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder. In his first year, he caught 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, all career highs, earning a Pro Bowl nod and Second-Team All-Pro honors.
Cowboys WR George Pickens said he’s not disappointed that he did not get a long-term deal. He doesn’t plan on holding out. He will be at training camp.
He said he didn’t attend voluntary OTAs because he was listening to his agent.
“What’s important to me is winning. Like I said… pic.twitter.com/YbKpEFfPEa
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) June 16, 2026
What head coach Brian Schottenheimer said about Pickens and what the Cowboys actually want
Schottenheimer confirmed on Tuesday that Pickens would participate in walkthrough and individual drills but not team drills as a precaution, with full participation expected when the team arrives at training camp in Oxnard, California, in late July. He had no doubts Pickens would show.
The Cowboys haven’t closed the door on a long-term deal permanently. Jerry Jones said at the annual meeting that the franchise has “long-term plans” for Pickens and could revisit extension discussions next year, potentially using the franchise tag again in 2027 if necessary.
The Cowboys have successfully extended franchised players more recently, with both Dak Prescott and DeMarcus Lawrence agreeing to long-term deals after being tagged.
Running back Javonte Williams described the mood when Pickens broke down the post-practice huddle on Tuesday.
“You could hear it at practice when he got a chance to break it down, everybody was cheering. I’m glad to see him back.”
Pickens already knew that. He said Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb were reason enough not to consider holding out.