George Pickens Addresses Holdout Concerns and Contract, Explains Cowboys OTAs Absence

Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens told reporters he appreciated how upfront the team was about a contract extension.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys began mandatory minicamp on Tuesday and one of the most notable things from it was the presence of wide receiver George Pickens.

For months now, many have wondered if Pickens might hold out or hold in after the Cowboys declined to even consider giving him a contract extension after placing the franchise tag on him.

The expectation was always that Pickens wouldn't hold out after he signed his franchise tag, but knowing the mercurial wideout's history, assuming anything with him is a risky proposition.

After taking part in his first practice of the offseason in a limited capacity on Tuesday, Pickens confirmed to reporters that there will be no hold out or hold in.

"Uh, no, I'm definitely here now," he said. "Like I said, the group of guys that's with the Cowboys kind of prevents you [from holding out]. If you know guys, and are going to guys' house[s], you're talking. I talk to Dak [Prescott]. I'm still throwing with Dak. He's definitely gonna make you not want to hold out."

Why George Pickens skipped OTAs

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

One of the reasons why many felt Pickens might still hold out was because of his absence from OTAs. Pickens told reporters he was just listening to his agent.

"Just because he's in control," Pickens said of his agent, David Mulugheta. "So he's like your boss. So there's no trust or anything there. He controls what you do, so really you trust him.”

NFL Network's Jane Slater reached out to Mulugheta to get a more detailed explanation behind the thought process of not showing up for voluntary workouts.

"Voluntary means exactly that," Mulugheta said to Slater. "[Pickens] has and will continue to fulfill his contractual obligations. Many players across the league skip OTAs and to my knowledge, none of my clients have ever missed mandatory team activities."

Pickens talks no long-term deal

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Pickens told reporters he's not disappointed about not getting a long-term deal and he appreciated how upfront the team was about not wanting to talk about a contract extension.

"Super important," Pickens said of the team giving him a heads up. "Definitely as a person, as anybody, I would want you to tell your kids, your friends exactly what you're going to do."

When it comes to what he needs to do to secure that long-term deal, Pickens said he just needs to keep playing at a high level.

"I wouldn't necessarily say do anything, I would probably just say what I was doing last year, which is doing it to the best of my ability. That's kind of how I live my life too," he said.

It's true Pickens needs to keep playing at a high level to get the deal he's seeking, but he must also show he's past his behavioral issues, which were prominent in Pittsburgh and briefly showed up at times during his first year in Dallas.