Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (3) celebrates along with wide receiver Kavontae Turpin (9) after catching a long pass for a first down during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eaglesat AT&T Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025, in Arlington.
Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer
FRISCO — Whether Cowboys receiver George Pickens will attend mandatory minicamp starting Tuesday is a question without a clear answer.
Pickens — the latest subject of a contract negotiation that hasn’t exactly been smooth — hasn’t been at any of the team’s voluntary offseason practices. He’s not the only one who has missed time, but his status has secured the spotlight.
“My conversations with George have been positive, just about life in general, so I expect and hope he’s here,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said Thursday. “Hope and expect is the same thing.”
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That’s debatable. Expectations are defined; hope can be misguided.
But, to be fair, Schottenheimer’s perspective is understandable.
While Pickens hasn’t committed to attending minicamp next week, there are reasons to believe he’ll be there. If he’s not, it opens up additional questions.
The Cowboys have dictated the tone, so far, of Pickens’ negotiations.
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Pickens had a career year this past season, catching 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. In his fourth season, he blossomed into the big-play receiver many expected when he was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round out of Georgia. He surpassed the third- and fifth-round value the Cowboys gave up to acquire him and a sixth-round pick from a Steelers team that was willing to move on from the talented — yet frustrating to them — receiver.
The performance from Pickens a year ago would’ve likely warranted a big payday on the open market, but he never made it there. The Cowboys placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Pickens, meaning teams could openly negotiate with Pickens and even sign him to a contract sheet. The Cowboys would have been able to match any offer or receive two first-round picks from the team that signed Pickens to the offer sheet. Two first-round picks and a big pay raise was a price a team was never willing to go for a receiver who just had his first 1,000-yard season.
In perhaps the most stunning move so far, the Cowboys announced before the draft that they wouldn’t negotiate with Pickens on a long-term deal. Schottenheimer and owner Jerry Jones told Pickens. Stephen Jones and his father also told Pickens’ agent, David Mulugheta. The Cowboys drew a line in the sand.
A week later, Pickens signed his franchise tag, locking him into a one-year, $27.3 million deal.
If you’re expecting Pickens to show up for mandatory offseason practices, that’s the reason. Pickens is no longer on a rookie deal, which means any non-excused absence is subject to fines that can’t be forgiven. It’s different from 2024, when Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb missed all of training camp in Oxnard while negotiating an extension on his rookie deal. All accumulated fines were forgiven.
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By signing the tag, Pickens also opted into mandatory expectations. If Pickens misses all three days of minicamp, he’ll be fined a total of $93,085: $15,515 for the first day, $31,030 for the second and $46,540 for the third.
And if he doesn’t show up, to what avail? To what leverage?
The Cowboys have said they want Pickens with the team for years to come. They also would like to see him replicate what he did last season. The league would probably like to see that, too. If Pickens wants to earn a raise that would place him in the top five of NFL receivers, playing like he did a year ago would probably be the best path.
If he doesn’t show up, it would be fair to wonder if a trade request could follow. Signing the franchise tag not only opened the door for mandatory obligations, it also gave Pickens a contract that could be traded. If there’s any remaining leverage and hope for Pickens in negotiations, it’s there — as long as there’s also a receiver-needy team willing to give up enough to entice the Cowboys, though that doesn’t appear to be their current plans.
Pickens hasn’t shown up for voluntary work, but he has worked with quarterback Dak Prescott this offseason. Prescott said last week that they’ve thrown “two to three” times. The last time came in either March or April, Prescott said.
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Prescott, like Schottenheimer, hopes their work can continue this coming week. Prescott also said he wasn’t given assurances Pickens will be there.
“Would love for him to be in, but even if he’s in, I doubt he’s going full-go, jumping in with the team,” Prescott said. “I would hope not, to be honest, just protecting him and being smart. Just hope he gets in, see some of the new guys, meet some of the new guys, and yeah, I’m sure he’ll be in.”
At the very least, they hope.