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The Dallas Cowboys have a reputation when it comes to dealing with players and long-term contracts. This is a reputation that they have earned and it has reached a particular level of notoriety over the last few years.
Most notably the Cowboys let the CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott contract extensions drag through training camp. The former got his deal after the team returned home from Oxnard while the latter received his on the literal day that the season (2024) began. The Micah Parsons situation last year did not go quite as long as the Prescott one, but no deal was struck through camp and he was traded away a week before the season (2025) began.
Given that George Pickens is up for a new deal there are plenty of people who are claiming that they have seen this movie before. The Cowboys will drag this to the eleventh hour in the exact same way, but even if they do it is important to note that it cannot be like the recent Lamb, Prescott, and Parsons examples.
The Dallas Cowboys literally cannot drag out the George Pickens situation through training camp. The latest point of contention is July 15th.
Each of the three players referenced were all seeking contract extensions with the Cowboys where Pickens is currently set to see his deal expire. If the Cowboys were to do nothing with Pickens then he would become a free agent, this is why they are reportedly going to place the franchise tag on him at some point before the 4 PM ET deadline on March 3rd.
Say that happens. Surely the Cowboys will go the distance through camp! They do it all of the time!
Again, they cannot. Given the circumstances around a world where Pickens is tagged, all parties involved would have until July 15th at 4 PM ET to negotiate a long-term deal otherwise the situation is locked until the 2026 season is over.
From the NFL’s operations manual on the subject:
July 15th: At 4:00 p.m. ET, deadline for any club that designated a Franchise Player to sign such player to a multiyear contract or extension. After this date, the player may sign only a one-year contract with his prior club for the 2026 season, and such contract cannot be extended until after the club’s last regular season game.
The point in bringing all of this up isn’t to suggest that the Cowboys are going to beat the deadline. As noted it is understandable for someone to lack faith that they will. Obviously anything can happen.
This is important information because it is literally impossible for the Pickens situation to unfold exactly like the Lamb, Prescott, or Parsons ones. The situation may unfold (hypothetically) similar to those in that George could sit out minicamp, OTAs, and things of that ilk, but if this got to July 15th then he would only be costing himself by sitting out of training camp in the sense that there would be nothing that the Cowboys could do at that point.
It is up to you if you want to trust the Cowboys to get this done. Just understand what makes this situation unique.