The Cowboys have so far said all the right things about George Pickens, but their actions will tell us their true feelings.
The Dallas Cowboys are once again set to be the main storyline of the NFL offseason, with George Pickens' contract situation set to dominate the landscape.
Make no mistake about it, Dallas will be "above the fold" as Jerry Jones loves his team to be, but this offseason, it doesn't need to be.
Yes, the franchise tag has been in play for Pickens since our own Mike Fisher reported back on November 27, but that doesn't mean negotiations will end there.
It's a place-holder so both sides can work out a long-term deal ... Cowboys Nation hopes.
We have seen rumors and trade packages that see Pickens be moved on, and Dallas gets as little as a second-round pick in return. That is nightmare fuel if you ask me.
And for those inside the building, according to Fish, the idea of trading George is an "idiotic notion."
But that won't ease the fear of Cowboys Nation that they might enter Week 1 of the 2026 season with CeeDee Lamb and Ryan Flournoy as their No. 1 and No. 2 receivers.
ESPN's Todd Archer gives us both sides of the argument when it comes to keeping Pickens in Dallas.
“At every turn, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones and executive vice president Stephen Jones have said they want Pickens long term," Archer wrote. "Pickens, too, has said he wants to stay in Dallas. Quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver CeeDee Lamb don't want him anywhere else, either.
"But there's this too: The questions about him in Pittsburgh -- maturity, timeliness -- weren't as much of a problem for the Cowboys. That doesn't mean those issues disappeared when he arrived in Dallas. Coach Brian Schottenheimer alluded to Pickens still being late to things, and multiple sources said Pickens was fined during the season.”
So we know the love George has from those inside the building, but according to Archer, the issues that reportedly plagued Pickens in Pittsburgh were still around in Dallas - at least a little bit.
But it appears Brian Schottenheimer and the locker room, led by Dak Prescott, were able to keep things in line for George. Yes, he reportedly got fined, but we didn't even hear about it. That's a positive. It didn't become a national story as it did in Pittsburgh.
There's no denying that Pickens' best spot is in Dallas. He's built superb camaraderie with the roster and his coaching staff, but we know the NFL's business side is unforgiving.
The Cowboys have said all the right things regarding George staying in Dallas long-term.
But their actions over the coming weeks and months will tell us their true feelings on No. 3.
If they really want him, they'll keep him.