So far this offseason, everything has been smooth in the Pickens contract saga, but some think it might not last much longer.
The Dallas Cowboys' offseason, for now, has been drama-free, something that makes fans exhale but also makes them nervous.
Having always had a contract standoff with a star player every offseason for the past couple of years, there was a thought that George Pickens' contract situation could follow that lead.
Except, right now, it hasn't.
George has signed his franchise tag after the Cowboys made it clear they wouldn't negotiate a long-term deal with the Pro Bowl receiver. For some, they want Pickens to ask for a trade in order to get his long-term contract, because right now, he's not getting it in Dallas.
But this entire offseason, at least from the outside, there's been no animosity between the two parties; in fact, it feels like both know and accept where the other stands.
However, that doesn't mean things can't change, especially if Pickens holds out.
According to former NFL player Joe Haden, who was a guest on the Up & Adams Show, he thinks that it could be heading down that direction.
"I think George Pickens definitely wants a long-term deal. I think it may get messy," Haden said.
When asked by Adams why it could get messy, Haden responded with a word Cowboys fans won't like to hear.
"Holdout," Haden added. "I don't want him to hold out. I hope that he goes and plays for the tender just because the NFL is set up that way. I wish he would have got the long-term deal, but I don't want him to miss out on this 27 and a half [million].
"It sucks for George to be in this position, but I hope he goes out there, gets his 27 [million], and is able to go get a long-term deal."
The feeling from the Cowboys is that they want to see more from Pickens. They want to know that last season wasn't a flash in the pan.
Yes, there were some wobbly moments from Pickens off the field, but for the most part, George was superb for the Cowboys. Now Dallas wants to see him do it again.
The other thread to pull here is the Cowboys are content paying $27.3 million for one season of Pickens. Could that be that the franchise is trying to give itself time to figure out how to fit a potential extension into the salary cap for the coming years? Maybe.
But Pickens has to bet on himself in 2026. Play well, and that long-term contract he's after will get a whole lot more lucrative.
Conversely, if he doesn't hit the heights of 2025, he'll still get an extension, but it likely won't be at the top of the market.
Still, we don't know the temperature of the room on Pickens' side playing on the tag.
That should become clear when the star receiver has to report to mandatory minicamp. And that is when a potential holdout could commence.