Drama in Dallas? George Pickens, Cowboys Don’t Appear to Be on the Same Page Ahead of Minicamp

It remains unclear if the wide receiver plans to attend mandatory minicamp next week.

Will George Pickens attend the Cowboys’ mandatory minicamp next week? | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

All eyes will be on George Pickens watch in Frisco, Texas next week as the Cowboys begin mandatory minicamp.

Dallas starts mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, June 16 and will hold the three-day camp through Thursday. It remains unclear if Pickens will be in attendance.

Pickens has not been in attendance for the Cowboys’ voluntary OTAs, naturally leading to questions regarding if he will be at minicamp.

Coach Brian Schottenheimer said earlier this week, “I expect that he’ll be here. Hope and expect are the same thing. I can’t make anybody do something. ... He’s not committed that to me, but I expect that he’ll be here.” Quarterback Dak Prescott noted that he has not talked to Pickens about whether or not he’ll come to minicamp, but is excited to work with him.

While Schottenheimer has said he “expects” Pickens to attend, the star receiver didn’t seem to affirm that statement later in the week.

On Thursday, Pickens was asked while hosting a youth camp if he planned to attend minicamp next week. Nick Harris of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that Pickens shrugged and said “uhhh” before a representative cut the conversation and said Pickens would not any other questions.

While Pickens did not outwardly confirm whether or not he will attend minicamp, his lack of a resounding “yes” said plenty. Pickens could certainly end up showing up for minicamp and this will all end up being a nothing-burger, but at this point, he does not appear to be on the same page as his coach in regards to camp.

BREER: Why George Pickens Should Report to Minicamp

If Pickens doesn’t attend, he has the most to lose at this point of the offseason as he will be fined for every day he misses. The Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Pickens earlier this offseason and he signed the tender in late April, which earns him $27.3 million across the 2026 season. Had Pickens waited to sign the tender, he could have avoided the fines. Instead, he risks losing part of his earnings if he is not with the team next week.

Dallas has made it clear that it does not plan to extend Pickens this offseason, despite his stellar performance in year one with his new team. In his first season as a Cowboy, Pickens caught 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns—all career bests. He finished third in the NFL in receiving yards and received Pro Bowl honors for the first time. While Pickens’s play is worthy of a multi-year deal, it makes sense for Dallas to want to see another year of consistency from him both on-and-off the field before considering an extension, particularly after his rocky tenure in Pittsburgh.

Schottenheimer refrained this week from sharing what Pickens’s reaction was to learning they would not be extending him this offseason, but noted they were honest and upfront with him. If Pickens does attend minicamp, Schottenheimer said they will be “smart” with their usage of him in practice.

“I have no questions he’s working, but what you don’t wanna do is put a guy in here that you know exactly where he’s at because let’s be honest, we don’t truly know how much running he’s doing,” Schottenheimer said Tuesday. “He’s obviously a great athlete, but we’ll be smart. ... If we’re cautious, it’s because we want to be cautious. It’s not because we think he’s not working. We think he’s putting in the work and preparing to have a hell of a year.”

The Cowboys certainly would like to see Pickens on the field with them sooner rather than later, but if Thursday’s non-answer was any indication, there could be drama in Dallas heading into the summer.

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