I sure am glad I don’t represent Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens because frankly, I’m not sure what his next move should be. Let us recap where things stand as he heads into the 2026 regular season.

The Cowboys publicly announced they wouldn’t negotiate a long-term deal with him in 2026, prompting him to sign the franchise tag earlier in the month. That was a surprise. Now officially under contract, Pickens will be subject to fines should he miss mandatory minicamp and/or training camp.

But here’s the thing: Maybe the right move is to show up even before practices become mandatory. That’s right, I’m talking about showing up for (voluntary) OTAs beginning next Monday.

The case for George Pickens to show up to OTAs

Let’s apply some game theory here and ask ourselves what does Pickens want for himself in the future? Sure, he may want to win football games, etc. But I believe the right answer is a long-term deal that makes him the highest-paid receiver in football.

Well, if that’s the case, Pickens and his path must look at the best path forward. There are two key realizations to have here.

1. They must come to terms with the fact that the Cowboys won’t budge to a long-term deal unless they significantly drop their asking price. It’s only fair to assume both sides were far apart on initial numbers that Dallas shut down negotiations months before the July 15 deadline to strike a multi-year deal.
2. A trade is starting to look highly unlikely, especially with Pickens signing the tag. This one deserves an expanded explanation.

George Pickens is untradeable

I believe Pickens is “untradeable.”

Not because the Cowboys would never consider it nor because of a lack of teams willing to target one of the best receivers in football. But I do think circumstances make it so where the Cowboys want way more than “fair value” for him. And teams don’t want to overpay out of lingering concerns from his Pittsburgh Steelers days.

Think about it: If the Cowboys are to be successful in 2026, they will need their high-powered offense to answer the bell once again. Sure, defensive improvements took place over the offseason. But even owner Jerry Jones has admitted continuity has been an issue on defense. It’s difficult, if not unfair, to ask a first-year defensive coordinator to deliver immediate results after inheriting a historically bad defense.

So the Cowboys know they need their offense to make up for a far-from-perfect defense if they’re going to aspire to be a playoff team, which should be the goal after missing the cut back-to-back years considering the star power on the roster.

That should mean moving on from Pickens is a no-no. No Pickens, no elite offense. No elite offense, no playoffs. Even with an improved defense.

On the other side of the coin, teams are unlikely to overpay for Pickens. This remains the same league that didn’t match the Cowboys’ third-round pick offer for him last year out of behavioral concerns. Trading for GP3 only makes sense if you have a contract extension waiting for him.

So while Dallas may be willing to move on from Pickens for a first-round pick, it’s almost a guarantee no NFL team will give that up for him. Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones said before the draft that they hadn’t received any offers for the receiver.

Pickens’ best bet to a record-setting deal?

Other than stacking another All-Pro season, Pickens’ best shot at resetting the market has to be him answering all questions about his behavior. He sure did a good job alleviating such concerns with a drama-lacking season in Dallas but it wasn’t perfect.

Pickens was benched during the opening drive of a Monday Night Football Game for missing curfew with CeeDee Lamb. He was fined at least once by the Cowboys.

So if teams still have concerns about his approach and behavior, what would showing up for voluntary workouts mean? In my opinion, it should be a very positive showing to teams around the league.

Football wise, it’s also a smart choice

Again, Pickens is unlikely to get a long-term deal in 2026. All he can focus on, unless the Cowboys are bluffing about ending negotiations, is raising the price next year. The easiest way to achieve that is with another strong season this year. Practicing as much as possible with Dak Prescott should make that way easier.

Now granted, Pickens holding out for as long as he can is also a viable negotiation strategy. It may even be the right move to “punish” the Cowboys for not rewarding him after such a strong year.

But with the cards he’s been dealt, the right move might be to shock the NFL world and go all-in on 2026. That implies showing up to practice next Monday. We’ll see.