Executive Stephen Jones of the Dallas Cowboys told the media this week that the team isn’t getting any inquiries into a potential George Pickens trade. But that didn’t stop the NFL’s own Instagram account from pitching a pretty wild trade proposal involving the wideout.
Using a new AI feature inside NFL IQ, the NFL social media account proposed the Cowboys trade Pickens to the Baltimore Ravens. In return, the Cowboys would receive the No. 14 overall pick and a 2026 fourth rounder.
With such a trade, the Cowboys would have a third first-round pick. Dallas already has a first-round selection from the Green Bay Packers as part of the Micah Parsons trade last August. That choice is No. 20 overall.
The Cowboys will also pick at No. 12 with their own selection.
The last and only time the Cowboys had three first-round picks in the NFL Draft was 1991. With those selections, Dallas selected defensive tackle Russell Maryland, wide receiver Alvin Harper and defensive tackle Kelvin Pritchett.
The Cowboys immediately traded Pritchett for three later 1991 draft picks. But including Pritchett, all three players were top 20 selections.
The Cowboys won the Super Bowl a year later.
Could Cowboys Trade George Pickens for First-Round Pick?
GettyThe official NFL instagram account proposed the Dallas Cowboys land another first-round pick in a trade for wide receiver George Pickens.
The Cowboys getting a third top 20 selection in the 2026 NFL Draft would truly be wild. But landing a selection that high, and another one, for Pickens is highly unlikely.
As previously mentioned, Jones stated the Cowboys haven’t received any trade interest for Pickens.
A receiver with a diva reputation around the league in need of a mega new contract is unlikely to fetch a first-round pick.
Pickens could be on the trade block because the Cowboys have to sign the wideout to a long-term deal. Conveniently for him, Pickens is coming off the best season of his career.
Last year, which was his first with the Cowboys, Pickens posted 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. He averaged 15.4 yards per reception on his way to his first Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors.
Dallas placed the franchise tag on Pickens this offseason. The tender, if the receiver signs it, is a 1-year deal worth about $27.3 million.
Spotrac projected Pickens’s market value at roughly $122.4 million on a 4-year deal. The problem for the Cowboys is such a deal actually raises the wideout’s salary and cap hit for 2026.
A four-year, $122.4 million contract would give Pickens an average annual salary of $30.6 million.
Pickens has posted 267 receptions, 4,270 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns in 65 NFL games. He led the NFL with an 18.1 yards per catch average while playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers during 2023.
Pickens Delivers Message Ahead of 2026 NFL Draft
GettyWide receiver George Pickens made the Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro in his first season with the Dallas Cowboys.
Pickens has mostly been silent on his contract situation with the Cowboys this offseason. But he broke that silence on his own Instagram account this week.
“Just living life, man. God bless, America,” said Pickens at the beginning of a vacation video he posted on social media.
“Definitely, Year 5 gonna be another movie.”
Pickens didn’t really address his contract with those comments. But the clip wasn’t a bad sign for the Cowboys.
The receiver motivated to make “another movie” during the 2026 campaign will only be a good thing for Dallas.
Wild George Pickens Trade Proposal Gives Cowboys Rare NFL Draft Opportunity