It just got a lot harder for Cowboys to trade George Pickens

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It just got a lot harder for Cowboys to trade George Pickens image

Feb 2, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens during NFC practice at the NFL Flag Fieldhouse at Moscone Center South Building. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

George Pickens will be playing the 2026 NFL season on the franchise tag.

The Dallas Cowboys and Pickens didn't reach a contract extension agreement by the Wednesday deadline, and they now aren't able to sign a multi-year contract together until after the regular season.

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio points out that this also means it's very unlikely now that Pickens would be traded at all this season.

"It’s not impossible," Florio writes. "But who would do it? If Pickens were traded, the new team would step into the Cowboys’ shoes. There could be no long-term deal until the end of the regular season. The new team would be trading for a one-year, $27.3 million contract and the ability to sign him after Week 18 — or to tag him again in 2027, at a price tag of $32.76 million. Of course, the two-year payout of $60.6 million could be attractive, given that the market has moved beyond $40 million per year. But it’s not ideal to the relationship to acquire Pickens with the intention to tag him again, even if the Cowboys quite possibly intend to do just that."

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In truth, it may not have been that likely that the Cowboys would trade Pickens anyway -- unless he got upset enough by the lack of long-term negotiations that he himself requested a trade.

Pickens could still ask for a deal now, but an acquiring team would encounter the problem mentioned by Florio above. It's not like the trade could happen and immediately lead to a long-term signature with a new team, either.

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Dallas likely wants Pickens for at least this season to see if the prolific WR combination with CeeDee Lamb can lead to more wins in 2026. The offense was good last season, but the defense struggled, and the Cowboys need the latter to improve to give them their best chance.

The Lamb-Pickens combo is certainly imposing, though, and a great reality for quarterback Dak Prescott. The Cowboys probably weren't moving Pickens anyway, but they almost certainly aren't now.