Stephen Jones: “Zero intention” of trading George Pickens

Before the draft got underway on Thursday night, there were multiple reports that Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens will sign his franchise tag and the team confirmed it when they met with the media after the first round.

The move comes a day after the Cowboys announced that they will not be signing Pickens to a long-term deal this offseason and it guarantees him $27.3 million for the 2026 season. It also allows the Cowboys to trade Pickens, but executive vice president Stephen Jones said on Thursday night that such a move is not on the team’s radar.

“We have no intention of moving George,” Jones said, via the team’s website. “We’re fired up about him signing his [tag], because it means he’s ready to come in here and get to work. . . . We have zero intention of moving [him].”

Assuming nothing changes on the contract or trade front, Pickens’ future will again be a topic of great interest in the 2027 offseason. For now, though, he’s set for a second season in Dallas.