With the 2026 NFL Combine getting into swing this week, we have already begun to speculate over some of the early whispers and fodder we've seen and heard. Dallas Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones has given us a bit to work with as he's been asked a few questions by team beat reporters, and the week has only gotten started.
After Jones alluded to the Cowboys using the franchise tag on Pickens in one breath, he also mentioned the fact that a disastrous scenario has also crossed his mind.
On whether he's thought about Pickens potentially skipping OTAs, training camp or other offseason activities, Jones had this to say:
“It crosses your mind. A lot of the guys we’ve tagged participated in everything, Dak (Prescott) leading the way ... He never missed anything. Hopefully that’ll be the case here.”
When it comes to Pickens, many Cowboys fans have essentially been preparing for a franchise tag situation, but only as a placeholder. Now, the potential of a completely different scenario is something fans will have to take into consideration.
What happens if a long-term deal can't be reached between George Pickens and the Dallas Cowboys?
As I have already written recently, fans should be prepared for absolutely anything as long as Jerry Jones is in charge. We saw how last year played out between Jones, the team and Micah Parsons. He is now a Green Bay Packer, just in case you forgot how that ended.
So, when it comes to the big man on campus, a.k.a. Jerry, everyone knows it's truly his world we're living in.
Let's say we get past the 2026 NFL Draft, past OTAs and into the summer months, and Pickens has yet to sign a multi-year extension after having the franchise tag placed on him. With that notion also comes the assumption that Pickens has sat out of any team activities to this point.
So, we are just a couple of weeks away from training camp and the July 15 deadline is approaching. That's the day teams have until to get a long-term deal worked out with any players having gotten hit with the tag.
And, what happens if we're just a couple of days away from that deadline, Pickens has yet to show up to team activities and now we're looking at, well, what could only qualify as a nightmare scenario.
Pickens probably has no choice but to participate in camp, but how fractured has that relationship become? Is it as bad as the relationship between Parsons and Jones? Is it really not that bad at all? How come the two sides have not been able to come to an agreement?
At that point, Pickens plays out the season on his franchise tag. Then, does he earn himself even more money in 2026?
He's a free agent after the tag is up. Do the Cowboys tag him again? Do they end up having to let him walk since they cannot afford him any longer?
And we thought his price tag was expensive now.
These are all hypotheticals, and to this point, Jerry Jones has had a lot of good things to say in respect to the Pickens contract situation. So, taking a step back, we'll hope things simply work themselves out.
But, that worst-case scenario is still in the back of everyone's mind ... including the Joneses.