FRISCO, Texas — As the Dallas Cowboys expected, George Pickens was at The Star on Tuesday for the start of mandatory minicamp.
The team posted a picture of its star receiver with the words: “chat we back.”
Pickens did not attend voluntary organized team activities the previous two weeks.
“Really great visits with George,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Tuesday. “Fired up to have him back. He’s fired up to be here. He’ll do all the mock and do all of the individual (work). We’ll just keep him out of team (drills). Just let him watch. He’ll be Coach Pickens today during the team period. … I know how he feels about his football team, this locker room, what we’re building here, so I’m not surprised to see him. I’m thrilled he’s here.”
George Pickens does not plan to hold out
Jon Machota
Schottenheimer said he expects Pickens to be a full participant for the start of training camp in late July.
“He’s going to be ready to go,” he added. “He understands what’s coming. If we needed him to practice today, he could. He’s going to do some things. But just as we close out minicamp and the offseason program, there’s no need for him to do the team stuff. He’s going to get plenty of work with individual and the mock stuff.”
Pickens signed the franchise tag on April 29 and the thought was he wanted a long-term deal. However, the Cowboys are not interested in negotiating an extension at this time. They would like to see another standout season from the 2022 second-round pick. The franchise tag will pay Pickens a guaranteed $27.3 million for the 2026 season.
Pickens said Tuesday 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 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.”
The Cowboys traded a third- and a fifth-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Pickens and a sixth-round pick in May of 2025. He responded with his most productive season, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors. He led Dallas’ offense, which was one of the NFL’s best, in targets (137), receptions (93), receiving yards (1,429) and touchdown receptions (nine).
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb have recently spoken about the work Pickens has been doing away from the facility, including throwing sessions with Prescott.
“George is George,” Prescott said last week. “He’s great. He’s awesome. His personality, excitement, his energy. He was consistent, consistent as he’s been, those times that I got to throw with him. And honestly, just even communicating with him through phone, as we have in these last couple of weeks, George is great. I’m excited about where he’s going to be. I’m excited about when he gets in and the work that we’re gonna have to build off of. But, yeah, George is George, and he is fine.”