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George Pickens #3 of the Dallas Cowboys

On the spectrum of possibilities for the Dallas Cowboys in the next few days as the NFL draft unfolds, trading George Pickens is probably low on the list. Yes, there was news this week in that team VP Stephen Jones told reporters that Pickens’ camp had been told that he would have to play out the 2026 season on the franchise tag–a one-year, $27 million contract–and that there would be no negotiation on a long-term deal. But that doesn’t mean the Cowboys would turn around and trade him a day later.

Sure, a trade could come if Pickens holds out and the Cowboys decide he is too much of a headache. But the team has shown great willingness to absorb the headaches that come with hardball contract negotiations with star players, so it’s hard to imagine they’d let a Pickens holdout put them off much.

Still, on Thursday morning, a possible trade pitch between the Cowboys and the Tennessee Titans was making the rounds on Twitter/X, drawing reactions from prominent Dallas writers and media personalities. It’s a long wait until the draft starts, so it’s a good way to fill time.

Cowboys Blockbuster With Titans?

Here’s what has been going around on a Cowboys-Titans proposal, from Polymarket Football:

“Mock Draft Trade:

“Cowboys Receive: #4 #35”

“Titans Receive: #20 WR George Pickens

“Who says no?”

Of course, there were plenty of folks saying no, though mostly from the Titans point of view. As good as Pickens was last year (93 catches, 1,429 yards), the opportunity to land a Top 4 pick could have a lasting impact on a defense that needs help.

Longtime Cowboys writer and reporter Mike Fisher was skeptical, noting that the Titans would have to give Pickens a hefty new deal. He wrote: “So … a team’s gonna give the #Cowboys another 1st-round pick (to use on a WR) … while trading for Pickens and paying him $34 million x 4? Hmm.”

Zack Wolchuk of 105.3 The Fan in Dallas asked Cowboys fans their thoughts on the deal, and there was a generally positive response, with the ability to land three potential starters in this draft too much to pass up.

George Pickens Trade Unlikely

The notion of trading Pickens, of course, is not new for the Cowboys. It is, though, very unlikely to happen, because the Cowboys are banking on a return engagement with Pickens and fellow star receiver CeeDee Lamb. The offensive unit thrived with those two taking passes from star quarterback Dak Prescott.

The Cowboys have indicated that they do have long-term plans for Pickens to be in Dallas, but they’ve made clear they’re going to use the franchise tag for the time being.

“We’re so fired up to have George on this football team,” Stephen Jones said. “Obviously, he’s been here for a year. We gave up a third-round pick for him, and certainly he’s made tremendous progress in the year he’s been here. I think he’d be the first to tell you this is a great situation for him, playing with CeeDee [Lamb] and Dak and in Coach [Brian] Schottenheimer’s offense. He loves Coach Schottenheimer and what he brings to the table. But certainly, a conscious decision that we’ve made.”