Dallas Cowboys’ pre-draft press conferences aren’t normally all that newsworthy. This time, they dropped a bombshell on everyone. During Wednesday’s presser, Cowboys’ COO, Stephen Jones, casually let the world know that Dallas had ended contract negotiations with polarizing receiver George Pickens.
Pickens is left with three options. One, he can stay away from the club for the foreseeable future and risk damaging the trust and reputation he’s begun to rebuild with the Cowboys last season. The second, sign the franchise tag and play out the season with Dallas, proving to front offices he can handle a big payday and still maintain good behavior. Thirdly, he can request a trade, something news outlets like ESPN and CBSSports have started talking about.
Related: Pickens may have to cave to Cowboys or be forcefed $111M over 4 years
If Pickens decides to play on the franchise tag, he’d be making $27.298 million in fully guaranteed money. This seems like the best and most realistic option. Pickens makes his money and continues to push up his value if he can replicate his 2025 season in Dallas. Both parties get what they want if this happens, but Pickens still hasn’t signed the franchise tag yet.
Pickens could sit out through the Cowboys’ OTA’s and part of their training camp. Dallas has been in this situation before with a client of agent David Mulugheta, who represents former Cowboy Micah Parsons. Parsons sat out the entire Cowboys offseason last year due to a mysterious back injury. The risk is the damage it could cause to his reputation around the league based on his time with the Steelers.
The least likely option would be trading Pickens before or during the draft. The most obvious reason, Pickens has yet to sign his franchise tag. Dallas doesn’t have the ability to trade him until that happens, giving Pickens a bit of leverage.
It’s akin to a temporary no-trade clause.
The Cowboys could work out a trade to send Pickens to the next Artemis mission, but he can’t be sent packing unless he signs the tender. It can happen in an instant, but he’d only sign a tender to be traded to a destination he approves, and that would only come after a new contract is agreed upon.
Based on their track record and recent words of defiance, the Cowboys front’ office isn’t likely to initiate such talks.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys can’t trade WR George Pickens until this happens
Reporting by Terence Watson , Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
