The Cowboys, it seems, are prepared for Pickens to hold out of the offseason program if he doesn't get his desired contract.
The Dallas Cowboys are once again set to be headline news as the NFL offseason continues, with George Pickens taking center stage.
With the Cowboys set to franchise tag Pickens, which would cost roughly $28 million for the 2026 season if Pickens and Dallas don't agree to a long-term deal by July 15, some think that the franchise is content with that.
But the big question will be, is George?
We saw a training camp holdout from CeeDee Lamb, who wanted his long-term deal, and even Lamb himself stated the ramifications the holdout had on his game.
Lamb wasn't himself in the opening months, as he only got back to training just before the season began.
Could the same fate await Pickens if he doesn't get a long-term deal, and Dallas just goes with the tag?
And how much does it "cost'' the team - and we're not just talking about money - to play hardball here?
Cowboys COO Stephen Jones has thought about a Pickens holdout.
“It crosses your mind,” Jones said. “A lot of guys that we’ve tagged participated in everything, Dak leading the way. He played under two of them, he never missed anything. Hopefully that’s the case here.”
We aren't sure if holding out will be in Pickens' wheelhouse, but one thing this Cowboys team can barely afford is another star holding out of camp.
We know that Lamb didn't really feel like himself until roughly two months into the season after his holdout, citing it as the "worst ever," so Pickens doesn't have to look far to see how detrimental holding out of the offseason program can be.
Now all eyes will be on Pickens, and it is expected the franchise tag will be used soon. Once it is, Dallas and George will have until July 15 to come to terms on a long-term deal.
If not, Pickens plays on the franchise tag in 2026. ... or, depending on his holdout stance, for awhile doesn't actually play on that $28 million deal.
We will get a good indication of how the Cowboys feel about Pickens in the coming months.
Will there be a concerted effort to sign him to a multi-year deal? Or will the franchise be fine having Pickens prove himself in 2026 and play for what will most likely be an even bigger contract in 2027?
In the end, should Dallas bend the knee early to avoid conflict and increase chemistry ... especially given that when it comes to huge deals for in-house stars, the Joneses usually do that eventually, anyway?