The Cowboys have franchise-tagged Pickens, and COO Stephen Jones has just dropped some knowledge that isn't great for George.
All eyes are on George Pickens and the Dallas Cowboys as the offseason rolls on, with the franchise placing the franchise tag on their Pro Bowl receiver.
This is often seen as a place-holder for teams as they search for a long-term deal with that player, and if a team comes in and negotiates a deal, Dallas can match it and sign Pickens long-term.
And if the Cowboys deem the offer too rich, the team negotiating with Pickens would need to send two first-round picks to Dallas.
After a 2025 season that saw Pickens post 1,429 yards and 9 TDs, he earned his first Pro Bowl nod, as he dominated in Brian Schottenheimer's offense.
Most see Pickens as a $34 million APY receiver, if not more, so that means the Cowboys, if they do sign him long-term, will have a lot of money tied up in Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and George.
Still, most think it should happen.
And the Cowboys, it appears, hold all the cards in this little negotiation based on what COO Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan.
When asked if any team has enquired about Pickens and offered a first-round pick in return, Jones delivered what might be a mic drop moment for the franchise in trying to get Pickens signed long-term.
"No, we've had no one call with interest in George Pickens," Jones said.
That speaks volumes to me.
Pickens, after the season he had, has not had one team call to enquire about signing him long-term.
Now, that could purely be that another team isn't doing Dallas' work for them. Or it could be the two first-round picks they would need to give the Cowboys in return. No team is doing that.
So there are a host of reasons why teams aren't calling the Cowboys about Pickens, but one would have thought some teams might have gauged interest.
Yet no one called. That's brutal to Pickens.
What can soothe that fact? Hey, the tag is going to pay him a guaranteed $27.3 million.
Now, it feels like the only arrow in his quiver to get a long-term deal is to hold out of camp until he gets the deal he wants. Of course, the only one losing in that scenario is him.
Lamb knows how detrimental it can be to miss out on the offseason program, so Pickens will likely be in No. 88's ear looking for guidance.
And the harsh reality for a Pro Bowl receiver coming off a career-best year is that right now, no one seems to want him apart from Dallas.
Advantage, Cowboys.