Jerry Jones' actions with George Pickens contradict comments on Cowboys WR

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has continuously said he wants wide receiver George Pickens for the long haul, but his actions say otherwise.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

All offseason long we've heard Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and others with the team say they want to keep wideout George Pickens around for the long haul after using the franchise tag on him.

However, actions speak louder than words and right now Jones' actions in contract talks with Pickens say something different.

While down at the NFL Annual League Meeting this week, Jones once again reiterated that he wants Pickens to be part of the Cowboys' long-term plans. But he also said there haven't been any contract talks with Pickens of late, and he seems content with keeping the wideout on the franchise tag for 2026.

"I respect that everybody would want a long-term deal. Obviously, teams around the league use it. Players around the league have played under a tag. It's a lot of money. But at the same time I also understand why players want a long-term deal," Jones said, per Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said there haven’t been any recent contract talks with George Pickens. He’s not sure if Pickens will attend offseason work. He likes that Pickens has been working with Dak Prescott. Jones says Pickens remains part of Dallas’ future beyond this season pic.twitter.com/JjBD7Ot1kO

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) March 31, 2026

He added, "We've had a lot of players here in Dallas that have, including our quarterback, the most valuable player to the franchise, has played under a tag."

But Watkins takes it a step further, saying the Cowboys "haven't started any substantial contract talks with Pickens' agent."

Perhaps that partly has to do with Jones' disdain for Pickens' agent, David Mulugheta, but the lack of significant talks with Pickens also suggests Dallas really has no interest in a long-term deal.

Cowboys shouldn't stick with status quo

Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It's quite possible Jones' long-term vision with Pickens is simply using the franchise tag more than once, but that would not be beneficial for Dallas, and for multiple reasons.

When it comes to this season, Pickens' entire $27.9 million tag price is on Dallas' books, which is a huge hit to its cap space.

Adding to that, if Pickens is disgruntled, he might decide to hold out, in which case Dallas will have a headache on its hands.

Even if Pickens plays out 2026 on the franchise tag, there's zero guarantee he'll be keen on doing it again in 2027. And, if he does do it again, the price is going to rise a whopping 120%, putting a bigger financial strain on Dallas' books for next season.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

There are two logical solutions for the Cowboys here: sign Pickens to a long-term deal to offer some relief in the next few years, or trade him away and go in a different direction.

Right now, it appears the Cowboys are taking the third option, which could end up being the worst of the trio.