There were doubts about George Pickens being the right choice for the Dallas Cowboys after they traded for him in 2025 because of his off-field reputation. However, the previously scorned WR was able to regain his lost reputation last season by racking up 1,429 yards, a career high. The Cowboys, instead of rewarding him with a proper contract, put him on the franchise tag.

That decision clearly did not sit well with Pickens, who continues to be absent from team workouts. Former Cowboys safety Darren Woodson, who played in Dallas his whole career and won three Super Bowls, delivered a harsh take on the young WR’s attitude.

“Not everybody’s built to lead,” Woodson said on the Doin’ Alright podcast on June 12. “They’re just not. It’s just not innate, and everybody else. … And this is how Super Bowl teams become Super Bowl champions: when your best players, regardless of what their contract situation is, are part of it. They’re still a part of it. They’re going to show up. We’re going to fight through the contract.”

Things have been a little rocky between Pickens and the Cowboys for a long time now. Pickens signed the tag on April 29, temporarily pausing this drama. Executive vice president Stephen Jones soon declared that there were absolutely no long-term plans about Pickens as of now.

“We’ve made a decision that we’re going to have George Pickens play under the franchise tag, which won’t be a first for us,” Stephen Jones said at the pre-draft press conference. “So there won’t be negotiations on a long-term deal.”

Pickens signing the franchise tag gave the Cowboys a guarantee for the 2026 season. But for reasons unknown, the WR has still not shown up to the voluntary workouts. Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris asked Pickens at a youth football camp whether he planned to be at the mandatory minicamp the following week. He shrugged, muttered an “uhhhh,” and before he could say another word, his representative jumped in and shut the whole thing down.

Pickens not attending practice before signing the franchise tag is one thing. But him putting pen to paper for the 2026 season for the Dallas Cowboys, and still not attending practice, is a different thing altogether. The franchise is now liable to fine him for not attending practice, now that the sessions will become mandatory. Per Sportrac, Pickens is set to lose north of $107,000 if he skips the three-day minicamp.

Pickens came to Dallas with a reputation of being a nuisance. When he was with the Steelers, there were issues with his discipline, including tardiness and general demeanor. AtoZ Sports reported that his presence in the locker room “created dysfunction within the building.” One Pittsburgh source told ESPN that Pickens was a great person to be around if he was having a good day. But if things turned bad, “he didn’t want to be bothered or coached.”

Given how uncertain his future is after 2027, Pickens still maintaining this attitude in Dallas is not a good look for him if he wants a long-term deal.

“Just show up, dude,” Woodson added. “That’s the hardest thing to teach any young player. … Good things happen when you show up and do the right thing. Just come to work. If you don’t show up, now everybody has a perception change: ‘Well, he doesn’t show up. He’s not a team player. He really doesn’t care about us.’

“You have all this little talk, side talk going on. Just show up, you quell all that.”

It’s hard to argue with that logic, when there is precedent for Pickens upsetting the team atmosphere. There is clearly something about the WR that Dallas is uncertain about, and is using this season to arrive at a decision.

The WR and the Cowboys have until July 15 to sign a contract. If there is still no resolution, George Pickens will have nothing guaranteed for him in 2027 unless Dallas makes a new move, or if another team signs him up after the season. What the WR does over the next few weeks may just end up dictating how things go for him in Dallas.