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Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys will keep practicing with George Pickens.

The Dallas Cowboys wrapped up their three-day mandatory minicamp on Thursday at The Star, and in the process, put to bed the one lingering piece of drama that had hung over the franchise. That’s because star receiver George Pickens showed up, and though he was not an especially productive player in practices, he took part in drills and left no doubt he will be suited up and ready for training camp in Oxnard next month.

Pickens had hoped to get a long-term deal with the Cowboys this offseason, but that hope quickly flickered out when Dallas put the franchise tag on him and insisted it would not negotiate anything further.

So, after a season in which Pickens went for 1,426 yards and 93 catches, the goal appears to be to repeat that level of production and again seek a big free-agent deal in 2027.

Dak Prescott Set to Work With George Pickens

Next up in that chase is more work with Cowboys star quarterback Dak Prescott, who had expressed confidence all along that Pickens would accept the tag deal and not hold out or “hold in.” Prescott revealed that he and Pickens will get together for some work during the break between minicamp and training camp.

Said Prescott: “That guy makes it easy. You see us just in routes on air out there, but you just go turn on the tape, that guy is going to get separation. He’s just different. He understands his leverage. He understands his routes. He understands where I’m looking for him at the catch point, the depth. So, yeah, that is going to be a beneficial time. it’s going to be great. But we can go throw a lot of touchdowns right now. That guy’s ready.”

Dak Prescott: George Pickens Getting ‘A Nice Check’ From Cowboys

Prescott can empathize with Pickens because he, too, was franchise-tagged by the Cowboys, but still eventually wound up with a record-breaking NFL contract from the team. And the tag deal, Prescott pointed out, is not entirely unfair on a one-year basis–it’s $27.3 million.

“The guy is getting still a nice check,” Prescott said. “I said this a while back, knowing that was a potential of him to go on the tag, there was no doubt in my mind that the guy would be ready, that he would show up, that he would do everything we have asked him to. And he’s going to do that.”

Cowboys Offense Should Be Fun

Pickens said his chats with Prescott, and his desire to just be around his Cowboys teammates again, helped guide his decision to sign the franchise tag and report to minicamp–though he stayed away from voluntary OTAs earlier in the month.

Prescott said he does not really deserve credit for that–he just knows Pickens really likes football.

“The guy loves the game,” Prescott said. “I don’t necessarily know—I think him saying  that, he is just saying how much he loves the games, how much he loves the brothers, how much he loves being in the huddle, being on the field with me, CeeDee (Lamb), Javonte (Williams), whoever it may be—Ferg (Jake Ferguson), to hear their banter back and forth. This game is fun. That’s a guy that’s always looking to have fun.”