Cowboys Repeating Micah Parsons Mistake With George Pickens Contract

ASHBURN, Va. — With the Washington Commanders hard at work formulating their offseason plans, division rivals like the Dallas Cowboys are doing the same. However, with the start of the new league year not much longer than one month away, it appears that rival is back up to its old tricks regarding pending free agents, and it could have major ramifications in what happens this offseason.

The silence around George Pickens

Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reported early this week that the Cowboys have yet to communicate with representation for pending free agent receiver George Pickens. The receiver had four catches in each game against the Commanders in 2025, collecting nearly 200 yards of offense for his team in the process.

While Watkins makes it clear that this development isn’t a signal to panic just yet for Dallas, the fact that it’s even coming up in conversation is a reminder of missteps taken by the Washington rival in past offseasons, and the potential impact those actions can have across the board.

Repeating the Micah Parsons mistake

Just last year, the rival failed to work in good faith to get star pass rusher Micah Parsons extended to a long-term deal and eventually were forced to trade him to the Green Bay Packers, significantly weakening the Cowboys’ defense.

While the Commanders themselves weren’t able to take advantage of this fact in the two meetings between the two rivals this past season, the end result was a Dallas squad that underachieved as much as the burgundy and gold did, leaving the Philadelphia Eagles open to weathering their own internal storms to secure a second-consecutive division crown.

“Club officials have held preliminary discussions with pending free agent running back Javonte Williams, but talks are on hold until Williams finalizes hiring an agent,” Watkins reports.

“However, the biggest pending free agent on the team, and maybe in the league, is wide receiver George Pickens. The Cowboys have not held any contract talks with Pickens’ agent, two people briefed on the situation told The Dallas Morning News.”

In relation to the start of the new league year, there is certainly plenty of time, but as Pickens hears that teammates are being contacted by the organization while he experiences radio silence, things can turn. Today, more and more players expect not just compensation but to be treated with respect for what they provide to owners who so often look for every avenue to nickel-and-dime them into smaller contracts.

“After what transpired last offseason, when club officials failed to reach a deal with star pass rusher Micah Parsons, eventually leading to a trade, the thought of getting a deal done sooner rather than later seems prudent,” Watkins continues.

Why the franchise tag could backfire

It appears to me that there may be a scenario in which the Cowboys simply franchise-tag Pickens, likely costing them less for one full year than a new contract would. Doing so would be an unsurprising business move. Doing so without muttering a word to your star receiver would be about as bad faith as it comes, and potentially lead to another stand-off, another spoiled relationship between the Commanders’ rival, and another star player.

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