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Stephen Jones reaffirms Cowboys have 'zero interest' in trading George Pickens after NFL Draft

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh05/05/26griffin_mcveigh

Right around the NFL Draft, rumors of the Dallas Cowboys trading George Pickens began. People inside the organization’s front office quickly denied the idea. Guys such as Stephen Jones expected Pickens to sign his franchise tag, which he eventually did. Now, Jones is once again saying the Cowboys are not moving Pickens.

“There’s zero interest in a trade for George Pickens,” Jones said via Mad Dog Sports Radio. “Zero interest.”

Part of the trade speculation revolved around the Cowboys and their two first-round selections. Jordyn Tyson quickly became a popular name connected to Dallas. Maybe another wide receiver fell to them at 12 or 20. But we now know how things played out, as Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and UCF pass rusher Malachi Lawrence wound up being the names called by Roger Goodell.

For all intents and purposes, Pickens is on a one-year deal. Dallas does not appear interested in negotiating a long-term extension with him at the moment. Pickens will make just over $27 million during the 2026 season before possibly entering free agency. What his future looks like certainly remains a big question.

As for the present, Jones is counting on Pickens to produce another fantastic season inside Brian Schottenheimer’s offense. Jones thinks there is a chance for improvement.

“I think George Pickens has a chance to be competing with CeeDee (Lamb) to be one of the best receivers in the league,” Jones said. “And, to me, what makes our offense so dynamic is to have two guys like that. We were having great visits with Christian Parker about the trouble that it gave his defense when he was in Philly, and the challenges it causes other defenses when you have two dynamic receivers like CeeDee and George.

“Certainly, it was our first year with George. Couldn’t have gone better. I think George has a chance to, believe it or not, get better. And playing alongside CeeDee there, it keeps everybody honest and, you know, they aren’t the only weapons on our team.”

Pickens will be out there for the Cowboys in Week 1, whoever they might play. Putting together a similar statistical profile in 2026 would be quite impressive. Last year saw Pickens put up career highs across the board with 93 catches, 1,429 yards, and nine touchdowns. Dallas even threw him into the WR1 role when Lamb went down with an injury for a few weeks.