Dak Prescott has a message for George Pickens, and it could really benefit the Cowboys down the road
The Dallas Cowboys will love to hear Dak Prescott’s message to George Pickens.
Dak Prescott knows a thing or two about the franchise tag and negotiating with the Dallas Cowboys. And he knows exactly what George Pickens is going through after being tagged by Dallas last week.
Leading up to free agency, Prescott was asked by reporters for his advice to Pickens. His comments indicated full confidence on Pickens. And more than that, they could very well benefit the team in the long run.
Prescott on Pickens’ love for football
It isn’t the first time Prescott cites his wide receiver’s love for football as one of the reasons why Pickens is a great football player. Now, it seems to be the reason why the Cowboys quarterback isn’t too worried about the team’s negotiations.
“George loves football,” Prescott said via The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “That’s the one thing about it, I just want him to know, don’t change your love for football, don’t get in the business mind of this. You played last year on a one-year [contract] for not even that much, right? So if you can go [for $27M], that’s the same thing I got, when I got franchised [in 2020], hey go do it. At the end of the day, bet on yourself.”
Prescott earned the right to advise Pickens to bet on himself. That’s exactly what he did in 2020 when he decided to play on the tag before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 5. Despite a broken ankle, he was able to cash in in 2021.
If Pickens listens to Prescott, the Cowboys stand to benefit.
Assuming a long-term deal doesn’t get done by July 15, Pickens will be practically forced to either play on the tag or not play at all. The latter is highly unlikely. But if it comes down to the tag, Pickens could choose to hold out of training camp, as others in similar situations have in the past to avoid injury or to “protest” their team’s decision not to extend them.
If he embraces Prescott’s “bet on yourself” mindset, however, he will show up to training camp. That would only hone the already impressive chemistry between QB and WR, and will allow the Cowboys to avoid a situation similar to the one they faced in 2024 when Prescott and CeeDee Lamb took a long time to get on the same page.
For now, Prescott is confident Pickens will be alright regardless of his contractual status. The reason why? Not only his football persona, but his actual person.
“Hopefully, we can get him long-term,” Prescott added. “But if not, the way that he plays the game and the person that he is, he’ll be just fine.”
With the behavior concerns surrounding Pickens, the Cowboys should perhaps listen to their quarterback’s confidence.
Prescott spoke to reporters at this year’s Children’s Cancer Fund Gala, for which he’s an honorary chairman.
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