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George Pickens #3 of the Dallas Cowboys

In the past week, we have heard about a dozen different and sometimes conflicting bits of information about the Dallas Cowboys, the franchise tag offer to star receiver George Pickens and whether he has signed that offer, has not signed it, won’t sign it, will sign it, will sign it and be traded and/or will sign it and not be traded. But the one thing we have tried to keep in mind in all this is that there’s a chance this is all a tempest in a teapot–that, in fact, Pickens has said he will sign the Cowboys’ one-year, $27 million offer, but just has not officially done so yet.

And when he shows up at The Star to do it, that will lock him in for 2026, no questions asked. That’s the best outcome for the Cowboys because it keeps the team’s options open in case Pickens’ star turn last season–1,429 yards on 93 catches–turns out to be a one-hit wonder. But if Pickens produced anything like that again in 2026, he will have proven himself worthy of an elite-level WR1 contract.

George Pickens Situation ‘Not That Big of a Deal’

That’s the way the Cowboys have seen the issue with Pickens all along. They have the leverage here, and they’re using it, trying to get him on the best deal possible for the team. Therefore, maybe all the swirl of chatter around Pickens is sound and fury, and signifies nothing.

That’s what NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport had to say Wednesday afternoon on “The Pat McAfee Show,” a platform which previously had been the source of much confusion on the Pickens situation.

Said Rapoport: “It’s a weird thing because we all imagine them faxing him or emailing him a piece of paper and then just signing it. But it’s actually a little different. You just tell them, ‘Hey, we intend to accept this,’ and then eventually you physically sign it, I think after a physical. So, he is accepting the franchise tag.

“So, to me, not signing it is not that big of a deal.”

Cowboys Not Seeking Trade

Not that big of a deal. Now, those are sweet words for a Cowboys fan to hear in all of this. But there is the matter of Pickens signing the tag and seeking a trade, or the Cowboys getting him signed and then trading him–that’s what Rapoport’s colleague, Adam Schefter, declared a likely outcome earlier in the week on McAfee’s show.

That’s a longshot, Rapoport said.

His outlook: “I would be surprised if he is traded but I would not be beyond stunned because I have seen this before. Right? The Cowboys have been adamant, they are not going to trade him, Stephen Jones has said on the record, he is going to be playing for them. I agree that is the most likely scenario. But everyone has a price and there is a possibility that someone could say, you know what? I am going to send a 2 for George Pickens. The problem is that’s for next year. So, if you’re a good team trying to be good this year, that actually does not help you.

“My guess is he is playing for the Cowboys, plays great and next year, signs a huge deal with the Cowboys or walks and signs a massive deal somewhere else.”

All this, then? Not a big deal.