The Dallas Cowboys entered the 2026 NFL offseason with a George Pickens situation to take care of ahead of free agency. Jerry Jones and the front office decided to place the non-exclusive franchise tag on Pickens.
While the tag was placed, the Cowboys still find themselves facing a Pickens situation.
Pickens is allowed to discuss a potential offer sheet with other teams on the non-exclusive tag. Any team who signs him to an offer sheet would have to trade two first-round picks to acquire him if Dallas chose not to match the offer.
Keeping that in mind, a new report has come out that could place Pickens in play on the trade market.
Latest Rumor Could Make Cowboys’ George Pickens a Trade Candidate
According to a report from ESPN insider Rich Cimini, the New York Jets are reportedly interested in pursuing a wide receiver trade.
“Don’t sleep on the possibility of (Jets general manager Darren) Mougey trading for a veteran,” Cimini wrote. “It’s already been an active offseason for wide receiver trades, and you’re talking about a GM who has made 12 player trades in a little over a year.”
It’s possible that the Jets wouldn’t have interest in signing Pickens to the kind of contract he’s looking to receive. Also, they might not have interest in trading two first-round picks to acquire him either.
However, the rules do state that a team who signs a player on a non-exclusive franchise tag can negotiate with the team deciding against matching the offer.
In this case, New York and the Cowboys could negotiate a trade price that would lower from the current two first-round picks. One example would be that the two sides could decide that a first-round pick and a third-round pick is good enough to get a deal done.
George Pickens’ Future in Dallas Is Very Much in Doubt
The most likely scenario for Pickens is still that he plays out the 2026 NFL season in Dallas. However, after the 2026 season, it seems likely that the Cowboys would pass on paying him the kind of money his next deal will take.
Dallas is already paying big money to CeeDee Lamb. Jones and company likely won’t be able to afford paying two wide receivers No. 1 money.
Ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Cowboys have shown some interest in wide receiver prospects expected to be taken in the first round. That could be a hint that Dallas doesn’t expect to have Pickens in town past the 2026 season.
If the Cowboys are indeed planning for a future without Pickens, making a trade with a team like the Jets would make a ton of sense. They could get another first-round pick this year and another pick as well.
Expect to continue hearing rumors and speculation about Pickens in the coming weeks. For now, he remains tagged by Dallas, but a trade could still happen if a team comes calling.
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