Last year, before the Dallas Cowboys traded Micah Parsons, he said he was a Cowboy for life. Eventually, he played the 2025 season with the Green Bay Packers. Fast forward to this offseason, while George Pickens is not expected to be traded, the early narrative feels familiar. At least for now, Brian Schottenheimer wants him to be in Dallas for the long haul.

“Hey look, GP loves it here. We love GP,” Schottenheimer said. “We have plans for GP to be here for a long time, so we’ll let the business side of this thing play out and see where it goes.”

Just like Parsons, Pickens is also seeking a contract extension. The Cowboys used the franchise tag on him, which will pay him $27.298 million on a one-year deal in the absence of a long-term deal. However, negotiations have not reportedly started yet. Instead, the franchise tag on him gives the Cowboys until July 15 to get a deal done. If not, Pickens will either play on a one-year deal or consider holding out.

Meanwhile, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has echoed similar sentiments about Pickens’ future. Speaking at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, Jones made it clear that the franchise wants him long-term.

“Very clearly, the Cowboys want George Pickens to be a part of our future,” Jerry told the reporters. “That’s very clear. That says that so clearly. And it has a lot of muscle behind it when it says it. So I’m clear with that. I was rewarded that he expressed himself in the way he did about how comfortable he was here, how much he liked working with Dak [Prescott] and his teammates, and he was looking forward to his future with the Cowboys.”

But then again, the Cowboys have a habit of stretching out contract negotiations. And more often than not, that approach has not really worked in their favor. In Pickens’ case, that risk is very much on the table. After all, Jaxson Smith-Njigba has already reset the wide receiver market with a massive four-year, $168.6 million deal. It makes him the highest-paying WR in the league right now.

Pickens may not be expected to reset the market himself, but his value has clearly gone up. Pickens’ agent, David Mulugheta, who also represents Micah Parsons, is expected to use JSN’s $42.15M average as the new benchmark. It makes sense. As compared to JSN’s 1793 yards and ten touchdowns, Pickens’ 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns are not too shabby.

That’s why former Cowboys wide receiver Jesse Holley believes Pickens’ agent would be doing him a “disservice” if negotiations don’t start around the amount that reset the market as the league high. The negotiations will likely start with a high rate, and after the Cowboys come in low, both parties will have to find a middle ground.

“I am not saying he is going to get it,” Holley said. “But I would want someone representing me, no, start up there. Don’t start at $30 million. Start up there. Because the Cowboys aren’t going to start up there. They’re gonna start down here, where the floor is at. And we just, incrementally, get closer and closer and closer.”

Moreover, both Schottenheimer and Jones want Pickens to be part of their future after the season he just delivered. He played all 17 games and earned both his first Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro honors. So the logic is straightforward. The 25-year-old has earned an extension. The Cowboys know it, and he knows it. But like every contract situation in Dallas, it will come down to timing, leverage, and whether Jerry Jones is ready to meet the number.

If not, with Pickens’ current non-exclusive franchise tag, other NFL teams have the green signal to contact him. The New York Jets are emerging as a potential landing spot. ESPN’s Rich Cimini believes New York could be active in the receiver market. Additionally, the Jets have sufficient cap space and draft capital to execute this move. Plus, with uncertainty behind top target Garrett Wilson and limited proven depth, adding a player like Pickens could be a logical step.

If he signs an offer sheet elsewhere, the Cowboys can match it or let him walk in exchange for two first-round picks. Meanwhile, as the wide receiver continues to wait on an extension, Schottenheimer has also addressed the receiver’s potential availability during the offseason program.

Brian Schottenheimer has no clear answer on George Pickens’ offseason program availability

Brian Schottenheimer has seen this situation play out before in Dallas. A star player is in the middle of contract uncertainty, shows up around the team, but does not fully participate. Last year, it was Micah Parsons. This year, it could be George Pickens. And that is exactly why the Cowboys head coach is not making any assumptions about Pickens showing up for offseason programs.

“And I haven’t pushed that on him,” the head coach said of Pickens from the NFL meetings in Phoenix. “I mean, again, we’re all going through the process. It’s almost April. We’re still a couple of weeks away. It’s going to play out the way it plays out. Again, it’s all voluntary. We’ll see where it goes.”

Pickens is widely expected to miss at least part of the offseason program. And even if he does show up, there is a real chance he does not fully participate. As per the head coach, Pickens has taken a few trips with CeeDee Lamb this offseason.

He and Dak Prescott had an instant chemistry in their first season, much like Prescott developed with Lamb and former Pro Bowler Amari Cooper.

The duo combined for several clutch moments, including a crucial toe-tap touchdown catch against the Chiefs and an eighth touchdown of the season to spark a comeback against the Eagles.

“His talent has made that chemistry, for us, speed and expedite to give him all the credit,” Prescott said about Pickens. “But at the end of the day, he’s a guy who loves football and loves his teammates. I can get along with anybody like that. We’re blessed to have George. He’s a hell of a teammate.”

A review like that is really hard to miss. For now, the expectation is that Jerry Jones does not repeat what happened with Parsons. He wanted a long-term deal, but the front office did not finalize one, and while he showed up early, he avoided workouts. He attended mandatory minicamp and training camp but did not practice, and the team eventually traded him to the Packers. Whether George Pickens finalizes his deal soon will likely become one of the biggest storylines of this offseason program.