George Pickens is the main headline as we turn for the new league year, with Jerry Jones set to be the ring master in another offseason circus for Dallas.
The Dallas Cowboys and George Pickens have both made it clear of their desire to still be an item in 2026.
Of course, things don't always work out as planned. Just ask Jerry Jones and Micah Parsons.
Pickens, as expected and as we've reported since November 27, is set to be franchise tagged by the Cowboys, in a move a source told our own Mike Fisher is the "easiest path."
That doesn't mean the Cowboys will leave it at that.
In all likelihood, the tag is a placeholder while Dallas and George's representative work out a potential long-term deal.
With Pickens having the same agent as Micah, in David Mulugheta, this contract situation already has an ominous feel, and things haven't even started yet.
So will it be another huge distraction for the franchise? Or will the adults sort it out with minimal fuss and get on with their business?
Jerry recently issued a self-aware promise.
“That ol’ mirror, that self-evaluation really is appropriate and has to be done,'' he said recently. "My way of things doesn’t work. If I don’t change, I’m not successful.''
That quote is significant ... massively important ... if Jones lives up to it.
The proof might be in the Pickens pudding.
For CBS Sports' Garrett Podell, how Jerry approaches Pickens' contract is a big storyline of the offseason.
"Dallas owner and general manager Jerry Jones will reportedly slap the franchise tag on the 24-year-old this offseason with the goal of re-signing Pickens to a long-term extension," Podell wrote.
"A hilarious irony is that Pickens is represented by the same power agent, David Mulugheta, who also reps Parsons. Jones' approach struggled to break through with Mulugheta and Parsons. Let's see if he tries a different tactic with Pickens."
If we are being truthful, the hope is that both Jerry and Mulugheta have learned from the Micah fiasco.
That was a dumpster fire with feelings getting hurt, before Micah and David reportedly went back to Jerry to thrash out a deal late, to which the owner wasn't in the mood to accommodate and reportedly told the pass rusher to play on the fifth-year option or leave, and Micah was shipped off to Green Bay.
The same can't happen with Pickens. Rumors have swirled that talks could begin at the scouting combine, as is the case every year, so it will be interesting to see Jerry's game plan and also how Mulugheta approaches it.
Last season was just a colossal clown show from the Cowboys, Micah, and his agent.
History has a way of repeating itself, but the same thing can't happen again, can it?
Let's be clear. This is Jerry's race. Will he run it differently with Pickens? As he approaches age 84 in October, will he really be "different'' at all?