Jerry Jones clarifies the high-stakes standoff with his star playmaker, revealing how coaching intervention smoothed tensions and why a lifelong extension remains firmly on the table.
OXNARD, Calif. - The future of Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens was always going to be a topic of discussion in the wake of him having signed his franchise tag.
Set to pocket $27.3 million guaranteed for 2026, all eyes are going to be what happens next offseason as Pickens is still wanting a long-term deal.
Dallas made the surprising choice early in the offseason and publicly stated that it wouldn't even negotiate a new deal with George.
But now comes a piece of news that to some critics is even more shocking ...
As the Cowboys opened up training camp here in Oxnard with their "State of the Union'' press conference, owner Jerry Jones praised head coach Brian Schottenheimer for smoothing out what could have been a rather sticky situation with Pickens.
"I want to give Schotty accolades for how he worked through this with George and in terms of not him, but how he helped us communicate and work through it," Jerry said.
So, Schottenheimer played a big role in smoothing this whole thing out, and now the Cowboys have No. 3 on the roster for 2026 as they look to get back to the Super Bowl.
In fact, said Schottenheimer on Wednesday before the first workout: "As dialed in ... as I've seen him. I think you're gonna see a very motivated George Pickens - great news for us and maybe bad news for the rest of the league.''
But will Dallas have George post-2026? That is the big question.
Well, Jerry made it clear that Pickens could be, and for a long time.
"This can be a very win-win thing that we've done here, us, George and George being on the team," Jerry announced. "Make no mistake about it. George could be a Cowboy for the rest of his career and that [would] be a long time. Make no mistake about it. This just fit for us, and thank goodness it fit for him, and we got it done."
There are no guarantees here - well, besides Pickens' 2026 salary. As we've pitched often, one option is to simply tag him again for 2027, at $33 million.
Maybe Pickens will protest that when the time comes. Of course, his critics predicted he's stage a nasty holdout over the 2026 tag and the non-negotiation position of the franchise, but nope - he's here at camp ready to work.
There is no firmly set plan here. But we know Dallas does have the financial resources to retain Pickens beyond this year if it chooses to do so. And we know the Will McClay-led scouting department has strongly urged the Joneses to recognize that Pickens-level players are difficult to find ...
And that therefore, once you get one, you ought to keep him.
For now, Pickens and the Cowboys are about putting up big numbers in 2026. That will benefit all involved ... and it could help both sides fulfill Jones' "win-win'' vision.
