Dallas has slapped the franchise tag on Pickens, but it doesn't seem overly eager to sign the receiver long-term.
Exactly what are the Dallas Cowboys doing with receiver George Pickens and his contract situation?
With the franchise placing the franchise tag on George, both sides have until July 15 to agree to a long-term extension, otherwise, Pickens plays on the tag in 2026 at roughly $27 million.
So that is rather pricey, and we have stated that a long-term deal will actually bring George's cap number down, thus allowing the Cowboys to sign more players in the hopes of building a roster capable of something substantial.
But as odd as it sounds, the Cowboys appear to be perfectly content with how things are with Pickens. And that is just odd.
Jerry Jones stated at the annual league meeting that no talks have taken place. Now, why would that be if you have stated you want George in Dallas for a long time?
Make it make sense.
One would think that if the Cowboys truly wanted George to stick around long-term, they would be at least engaging in talks. But at the time of writing, they haven't.
And that speaks volumes. For one anonymous NFL executive who spoke to The Athletic's Mike Sando, they don't understand what Dallas is doing with George.
“What are they going to do with Pickens?” one exec asked. “Are you going to have two receivers making (at least $34 million, CeeDee Lamb’s APY), plus the quarterback (Dak Prescott) making $60 million?"
When the Cowboys traded for Pickens last offseason, that franchise had to know that this was a possibility. Plus, Dallas would have made sure that if Pickens did play well, an extension would be forthcoming, and it would need to have the cap space available to do it.
Which is why the Cowboys' approach to George's contract saga is baffling.
Jerry and Stephen have said all the right things publicly, with no personal barbs being thrown, which is a change.
But time will tell whether the franchise is really moving differently when it comes to the future of its star players.
What are the Cowboys actually doing with Pickens?
Right now, we have absolutely no idea.