With the new season just a few months away, George Pickens has finally signed a one-year, $27.2 million contract with Dallas. However, rumor has it that the team could trade him after the season. Jerry Jones’ son, who is the Executive Vice President of the Cowboys, recently addressed these rumors on Mad Dog Radio.

“There’s zero interest in a trade for George Pickens. Zero interest,” Stephen Jones said.

Pickens arrived in Dallas ahead of the 2025 campaign after spending three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The wide receiver played his sole season in Dallas under his rookie contract before becoming a free agent in March.

Given his spectacular debut season with the Cowboys, including his maiden career Pro Bowl nod, letting him leave would have been a crucial mistake. So, Jones put the franchise tag on him.

After contemplating his decision for over a month, Pickens signed the franchise tender on April 29, 2026, confirming his status as a Cowboys player for the 2026 season. The notable surge in his salary comes from his production in the last campaign.

The 25-year-old had a breakout season on the wide receiver unit for the Blue and White. He started 15 of the 17 games, recording 1,429 receiving yards and 9 receiving touchdowns.

With numbers like that on the board, trading Pickens would be a strategic blunder that could weaken the Cowboys’ offense in the 2026 campaign. Steven thinks pairing him with veteran CeeDee Lamb could do wonders for the team.

“I think George Pickens has a chance to be competing with CeeDee to be one of the best receivers in the league,” Steven added. “And, to me, what makes our offense so dynamic is to have two guys like that.”

Although Pickens has already signed, he is reportedly looking for a long-term option, which might be why the potential trade rumor is floating. The franchise has not talked about his long-term extension, and the Pro-Bowler is not sure what awaits him beyond the 2026 campaign.

“Look, Pickens wants a long-term contract, or he would like a trade,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show last week.

As the question continues to loom over Pickens’ future, the Cowboys coach recently gave his take.

Brian Schottenheimer sheds light on George Pickens’ rumored trade

After narrowly missing the playoffs last season, the Cowboys‘ head coach is eyeing a stronger next campaign, and he needs to build momentum from the offseason. And Pickens is a vital force in his plan. With the emerging trade talks surrounding the WR, Brian recently shed light on the situation.

“I don’t think there’s any reason for us to have that (trade talk),” Brian said to the Cowboys reporter Joseph Hoyt recently. “That’s not what we plan on doing.”

Before signing with the franchise recently, Pickens stuck to his strict offseason workout regimen, practicing with the Cowboys quarterback, Dak Prescott, which is certainly a positive sign regarding his interest in staying at AT&T Stadium.

Pickens skipped the Cowboys’ voluntary workout in April. The franchise schedules its OTA offseason workouts for the first two weeks of June. The five-time Super Bowl champions will expect Pickens to attend the OTA workouts, followed by the mandatory minicamp between June 16 and June 18.