Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens may not be thrilled that he will have to play through the 2026 NFL season on the franchise tag worth roughly $27.3M. Nevertheless, he reported to mandatory minicamp this week after he stayed away from the Cowboys throughout the voluntary portion of the offseason program.
While speaking with reporters on Thursday, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott discussed having Pickens around the team before players began their summer breaks.
George Pickens’ presence brings “excitement” for Cowboys players
“It’s great,” Prescott said, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. “You feel his energy. You feel his presence. It’s in the locker room. Obviously, it’s out there on the football field. Everything felt good. He looks great. I know he’s going to be ready for (training) camp. The excitement, you can feel it.”
Arguably the biggest Cowboys-related development of the week involved Pickens confirming he will not hold out when training camp practices get underway in late July as a way to protest the fact that he won’t receive a multiyear contract from the team before the July 15 deadline for clubs to sign tagged players to such agreements arrives.
The Cowboys have made it clear that Pickens will not be traded before the start of the upcoming campaign. That said, his eventual replacement may already be on Dallas’ roster.
George Pickens makes things “easy” for the Cowboys
Drama related to Pickens’ contract situation may have caused some to forget that he recorded 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns during his first season with the Cowboys. Those stats say plenty about why Dallas retained his rights via the franchise tag.
“That guy makes it easy,” Prescott added about Pickens. “You see us just in routes on air out there, but you just go turn on the tape, that guy is going to get separation. He’s just different. He understands his leverage. He understands his routes. He understands where I’m looking for him at the catch point, the depth.”
It was learned on Thursday that Prescott and his wide receivers will complete some throwing sessions together before training camp.
“So, yeah, (throwing over the next five weeks) is going to be a beneficial time,” Prescott said about Pickens being part of those workouts. “It’s going to be great. But we can go throw a lot of touchdowns right now. That guy’s ready.”