It appears that this scenario simply won't go away.
The Dallas Cowboys and George Pickens will remain headline-worthy until a long-term deal is reached.
So, until then, a handful of scenarios are being proposed regarding what Dallas could do.
The big one is the Cowboys trading Pickens.
Having placed the franchise tag on George, which will see him earn roughly $27 million in 2026 if no long-term deal is agreed to, we are now simply waiting to see what the next steps in this saga will be.
The offseason can be an interesting place at times, and we again have the Cowboys trading Pickens as a thought.
This time because of the Miami Dolphins trading away star receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos.
Cowboys SI's Josh Sanchez thinks that because of Waddle's trade, Dallas should do the same with Pickens.
"Seeing what the Dolphins got in return for Waddle should immediately have Dallas asking: what could the team get in return for George Pickens? The upside is there for Pickens, so teams should be lining up," Sanchez wrote.
"Dallas, at the very least, should pick up the phone to see if anyone is interested. Because of the contract situation and maturity concerns, it's not realistic to believe Pickens would get a similar return, but a high Day 2 pick should not be out of the question."
Right, there is a bit to work through here.
Firstly, Dallas isn't likely to be thinking about the draft capital it could get for George now; most likely, they already know it, whatever it is.
Secondly, we know the Cowboys won't pick up the phone first, as Jerry Jones reportedly thinks that whoever calls first loses the negotiations.
But there's more.
To the best of our knowledge, teams haven't been banging down Dallas' door for Pickens, which tells you all you need to know.
And lastly, a high Day 2 pick? After what the Dolphins got for Waddle (a first-rounder and a third and fourth-round pick), you could argue Pickens is worth at least that.
I've stated that Pickens, in my opinion, is worth more than a second-round pick, based on his 2025 season. And the character concerns? For the most part in 2025, it wasn't a factor at all.
But there hasn't been much noise about teams interested in trading for George either.
So, for all of the "trade Pickens" chatter, the fact that it has been silent for the most part likely tells you a couple of things.
Either the teams aren't interested because of the reasons listed above, or the Cowboys have made it clear behind the scenes that he won't be dealt.
Still, until that long-term deal is signed, there will always be rumors linking Pickens with a move away from Dallas.