With the 2026 NFL Draft almost here, Jerry Jones has already managed to put the Dallas Cowboys in the spotlight. During a pre-draft press conference in Frisco, things took an unexpected turn when former President Bill Clinton made a surprise appearance. Caught off guard, Jones found himself in an awkward moment that quickly turned into a major talking point.

“As Jerry is distracted mid-presser, he tells us the president is walking in, and sure enough,” noted NFL Network’s Jane Slater on X, who was present during the press conference. “He almost tripped getting to him. Two Arkansas guys. Always something in Dallas.”

The incident happened when the 83-year-old interrupted a reporter’s question to make the announcement of Clinton’s arrival at the press conference. As he rushed to greet the former president, he almost lost his footing on the uneven step, which was certainly a result of his excitement at seeing an old friend.

After giving a warm welcome to the 79-year-old, Jones had nothing but praise for him, calling him a “wonderful president” and an old friend. On the other hand, Clinton took a playful jab at the Cowboys owner, talking about his college football years representing Arkansas, saying it would have been hard for him to sustain in today’s college football because he played as a guard at 185 pounds.

The billionaire and the politician have a common root in Arkansas. While the former played for the Arkansas Razorbacks in collegiate football for three years, Clinton began his political career in the state. They established a genuine friendship in the late 1970s when Jones was emerging as a young businessman, while Clinton served as the state’s governor.

Given their long-standing friendship, he heartily congratulated Jones and the Cowboys when they won the Super Bowl in 1993, and Clinton was the sitting president. Following Clinton’s departure, the Cowboys management and Jerry Jones focused on answering more questions, and the topic of George Pickens’ contract negotiation came up.

The Dallas Cowboys have no immediate deal for George Pickens

George Pickens, who struggled to settle in the first three years in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers, reshaped the course of his career after arriving in Dallas ahead of the 2025 campaign. He became the leading wide receiver of the franchise, playing all 17 games.

However, he was signed to the Cowboys for only one season before his four-year rookie contract expired. Jerry Jones could not take the chance of losing one of his elite players from the last season, so he used a franchise tag on the WR, who was rumored to be under contract negotiation. But the franchise’s CEO, Stephen Jones, gave a contrasting update during the pre-draft press conference.

“Shortly after Bill Clinton departs, the Cowboys’ presser takes a somewhat newsy turn as Stephen Jones says they do not plan to negotiate a long-term contract with George Pickens this offseason,” ESPN’s Jeff Darlington noted on X. “They plan to have him play on the tag. Leverage strategy? Perhaps. But significant.”

The 25-year-old was put under the franchise tag in late February. If no deal is finalized, he is set to earn $27.3 million for the 2026 season under the franchise tag. The deadline is July 15, and the Cowboys hinted that they wouldn’t reach a new agreement before that.

Nevertheless, the wide receiver is yet to sign the franchise tender. Considering he is not under an official contract at the moment, he will not have any financial penalty for missing offseason mini-camps.

Amid this contract standoff, the head coach Brian Schottenheimer stated that Pickens has been independently doing practice sessions with the quarterback Dak Prescott, which are positive signs. As the organization recently locked in kicker Brandon Aubrey into a new deal, Jerry Jones will be hoping that Pickens’ contract doesn’t turn into a prolonged negotiation battle.