Pickens returned to the Cowboys after skipping OTAs and discussed his contract situation, future in Dallas and conversations with Jerry Jones


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Pro Bowl wide receiver George Pickens' holdout from the Dallas Cowboys is officially over, and his swagger is back.

After missing voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) the last couple of weeks as a show of displeasure over the lack of a long-term extension, Pickens showed up to The Star, Dallas' team facility, on Monday.

He took his physical after signing the franchise tag and participated in practice at mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. The Cowboys chose to hold him out of team drills and 11-on-11 work this week as he ramps back up, but head coach Brian Schottenheimer said Pickens could practice fully if the team needed him to.

However, Pickens maintained he's not disappointed by the lack of a long-term deal and said his absence from OTAs was simply him following orders from agent David Mulugheta.

"The game is going to be the game. Money is tagged to it," Pickens said. "You just want to do your job to the best of your abilities."
The conversation Pickens had face to face with Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones and Schottenheimer, who informed him he wouldn't receive a long-term deal this year, was one he called "super important" in maintaining a healthy relationship with the organization.

"Super important. Definitely as a person and as anybody, I would want to tell your kids or your friends exactly what you're going to do," Pickens said.

Pickens said he's focused on continuing to prove himself on the field rather than worrying about a future contract.

"I'm just here to make the best decision for the team and myself. ... If you keep showing it, or they already have a hint of who you are, that's when they'll start speaking on JSN [Jaxon Smith-Njigba's market-resetting four-year, $168.6 million extension] contracts and stuff like that," Pickens said. "I just keep doing what is best for me."

Playing football is clearly what's best for Pickens, and his joy at being back on the practice field with his teammates was on full display Tuesday. After one of his catches in wide receiver position drills, he celebrated with a dance that involved a shoulder shimmy and throwing his hands into the air. Pickens looked in shape and like the player whose 1,429 receiving yards ranked third in the NFL in 2025.

"I feel good, honestly," Pickens said after his first practice of the offseason. "[It felt] kind of like the first day, when I first came here [last year]."

Pickens squashed the biggest question regarding his future in 2026: There won't be any holdout from either training camp or regular-season action. His desire to win and be there for teammates like quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is simply too high. The $27.298 million he's receiving fully guaranteed on the franchise tag doesn't hurt either.

"Uh, no, I'm definitely here now," Pickens said. "Like I said, the group of guys that's with the Cowboys kind of prevents you [from holding out]. If you know guys, and are going to guys' house[s], you're talking. I talk to Dak [Prescott]. I'm still throwing with Dak. He's definitely gonna make you not want to hold out."

So what does Pickens plan to do to earn the long-term contract every NFL player aspires to secure after the conclusion of a rookie deal? Profile as a top-10 to top-five wide receiver for another season in 2026.

"I wouldn't necessarily say do anything. I would probably just say what I was doing last year, which was doing it to the best of my ability," Pickens said. "It's super, super fathomable since it's something that's been put on tape and been seen. Me personally, all I was doing was being my best. The system is the system. When I can implement myself in the system, then I'll do what I'm capable of."

Pickens will enter the 2026 season with a "football first" mindset and focus on the pursuit of a Vince Lombardi Trophy. The 25-year-old wide receiver's chip on his shoulder remains ever-present.

"What's important to me is winning," Pickens said. "Like I said from the beginning, I always want to bring a Super Bowl to a group of guys that never had that feeling. That's really the most important part to me."

Pickens being back on the field in pursuit of a championship is also highly important to the rest of his Cowboys teammates. The 2025 second-team All-Pro broke down the end-of-practice huddle before the entire team jogged back into the locker room to call it a day.

"You could hear it at practice when he got a chance to break it down, everybody was cheering," running back Javonte Williams said. "I'm glad to see him back. We know how hard he works. He may not get the rep in the public that we know in the locker room, but we know he's a great person. We love having him back."

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