Cowboys shock with a firm decision on star receiver George Pickens' future contract negotiations.
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys and All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey agreed to a four-year, $28 millon contract that makes the booming kicker the highest-paid at his position in NFL history.
So that takes care of one of Dallas' big contracts this offseason.
To many, that could lead to "the other'' big-ticket in-house free agent in George Pickens.
But ...
Nope.
We know that the Cowboys have franchise-tagged George and have until July 15 to reach a long-term deal before Pickens plays on the $27.3 million tag in 2026.
But the Cowboys on Wednesday here inside The Star just issued a massive announcement.
Said COO Stephen Jones: "We’ve made a decision that we’re going to have George Pickens (play under the tag). There won’t be negotiations on a long-term deal.'
Oh.
It has now been revealed by Aubrey himself that he was the one to push his agent, Todd France, to get in touch with the Cowboys to try to push through a deal.
"I had been pushing to get it done as fast as we could, which isn’t the way a lot of agents like to do it," Aubrey said via The Athletic's Jon Machota. "They want to slow play it and the teams like to slow play it.
"I wanted both parties to kind of come to the table and get it done faster, and both parties were willing to do that."
And it is here where George could take note. Maybe he'll make a push? Or maybe it won't matter.
More talks could mean avoiding all the unnecessary hassles that come with holding out. Pickens, like Aubrey, could instruct his agent, David Mulugheta, to get in touch with the Cowboys about a new contract to kick-start things anew.
But the Cowboys seem committed to not bothering, instead maybe opting to see Pickens do it again in 2026 as he did a year ago after last spring's trade was made with the Steelers.
The franchise is saying, "Thanks, but no thanks, you'll play on the tag." ... and surely has informed Pickens and his agent of that.
And coach Brian Schottenheimer's cool reaction to it all?
“I expect that he’ll be around (for offseason work)'' the coach said. "I really do.”
Dallas could actually tag Pickens twice and end up spending $60 million over the course of two years. One conventional thought is that the reason Dallas has shut this thing down is that Pickens was asking something very much in excess of that.
So Pickens - who has yet to sign his tag - is slated to be a Cowboy for 2026 ... until and unless the next fuss is stirred up.