The Cowboys’ handling of George Pickens could be impacted by potential NFL rule change
The Dallas Cowboys should keep a close eye on the latest news surrounding the NFL’s trade market.
The NFL trade landscape could change drastically in 2026 if one expected rule proposal is approved. And considering Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens will be one of the biggest names to watch in the trade market this offseason, it’s a story worth keeping an eye on.
NFL team to propose rule change
ESPN’s Adam Schefter dropped a major nugget on Monday when he said on the Pat McAfee Show that at least one team was going to propose a change to the NFL’s trade limits. Specifically, the rule change would allow NFL teams to trade draft picks from the next five years, as opposed to three.
“There’s going to be a push by at least one team this offseason to extend the NFL limits from three years of picks to five years of picks,” Schefter said.
That is no small difference, and it will likely lead to plenty of controversy when owners take a look at the proposal. And for the Cowboys, it’s specially relevant. General managers trying to get their attention for Pickens could get a creative and aggressive with offers involving future picks that wouldn’t be a possibility before.
What this means for Cowboys, Pickens
Last weekend, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said the Cowboys could consider trading Pickens. I wouldn’t make a big deal out of Rapoport’s report as Dallas has expressed interest in keeping the receiver, but there’s a chance it happens.
After all, signing Pickens to a long-term deal will require making him one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the game, and Dallas already signed CeeDee Lamb to a $136 million extension in 2024. If they’re not sure about committing that much money to Pickens, there’s nothing wrong with listening to offers from around the league. You never know what you’ll hear on the other side of the phone. It’s also well known Pickens’ agent, David Mulugheta, drives a hard bargain.
If NFL teams are suddenly free to deal away picks from the next five years, those offers could get wild.
Rapoport speculated on Sunday Pickens could land the Cowboys a second-round draft pick. What if suddenly offers come in featuring Day 1 and 2 picks from 2029 just to sweeten the deal? For instance, how do you value a trade giving up a 2026 second-rounder and a 2029 first-rounder? It’s a first-round pick, sure, but how much is it worth today?
And what if a desperate GM goes even farther than that and tosses in a 2030 first-rounder just because he really needs Pickens now?
I honestly don’t know if those offers would even take place. Obviously, those picks will have little value in 2026 compared to Pickens, but my point is offers could get weird as front offices figure out how to discount the value of picks in an extended period of time.
I don’t think the Cowboys are likely to trade Pickens. But he’s a perfect case study for how this potential rule change could complicate decision-making around the NFL. If the rule proposal gets any motion behind it, it could lead to some difficult scenarios for GMs around the league.
In the meantime, I’d prefer the Cowboys get a deal done with Pickens and let other teams test the limits of a new trade market.
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