Prescott has held a couple of throwing sessions with Pickens over the offseason, but the receiver has yet to show up at OTAs.
Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens, as expected, hadn't been sighted as OTAs were ongoing at The Star.
Granted, this is no time for panic for the Cowboys or their fans because this portion of the offseason program is voluntary.
But June 16 is the date everyone has circled because that is mandatory minicamp and it has been expected that George will show up.
Though last week, team leaders hedged a bit on that, using words like "hopeful'' when it comes to Pickens' attendance.
In the end, coach Brian Schottenheimer expects him to be here. But as we know, business is business, and it will be interesting to see how George plays it.
But more than that, Pickens - should he choose to be absent again - will missing the chance to build further on what he accomplished last season with Dak Prescott.
Pickens posted 1,429 yards and 9 TDs in his first year with Dak, so it would make sense for the receiver to get in as much work as possible.
We know of the throwing sessions Dak has had with Pickens, but until Prescott fronted the media, we didn't know how they went, and No. 4's thoughts on George showing up.
We do now.
“They were early in the offseason, but they were great,” Prescott said of his throwing sessions with Pickens. "George is George. He's great, he's awesome, the personality, excitement, his energy was consistent, consistent as it's been those times that I got to throw with him. Honestly, just even communicating with him through phone as we have in these last couple of weeks.
"Yeah, 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 going to have to build off of. George is George, he's fine.”
And now we have more news with a report that Pickens plans to show. (We're told he's in DFW and at The Star today.)
The other thing to consider here, as Schottenheimer alluded to, is that when Pickens does return to the fold, he'll likely be on a modified program because he hasn't had the conditioning work that the others have.
So, he will be starting a little behind the eight-ball if/when he does make it to The Star for practices. That isn't ideal.
For a team that has its 2026 hopes largely pinned on the offense being elite again, to have one of the top weapons not be up to speed from the get-go, that might make some fans a little antsy.
But Dak seems confident Pickens will be at The Star and will be fine. Time will tell if that confidence is well-placed.
