Of all the things that have gone wrong with the Dallas Cowboys thus far in what appears to be another cursed NFL season, the steady disappearance of wide receiver George Pickens is low down on the list. But that’s not because it’s unworthy of attention or scrutiny–it’s just because there are so many other issues to consider, so many other failures to address. The defense, the coaching, the indecisive approach to personnel, it all adds up to an incredibly disappointing 2026 season that started with the Cowboys openly talking about a trip to the Super Bowl, a bit of bravado that looks ridiculous in hindsight, like a gambler buying a lottery ticket certain that the millions are coming soon.
It’s easy to lose Pickens in that shuffle. On Sunday, in the dramatic 33-30 loss to the Cardinals in overtime, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott targeted Pickens only four times, and Pickens played only about 40 snaps, around where he was in Week 7. A defensive meltdown was the reason the Cowboys collapsed on Sunday, but it is impossible to ignore the fact that the Cowboys are, well, ignoring Pickens.
Cowboys Cutting George Pickens Snaps
Why that’s happening is a fair question. Last week, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer publicly called out Pickens for his lack of seriousness when it comes to blocking in the run game. Pickens saw his snaps drop thereafter. But this is the same receiver who posted 93 catches and 1,429 yards last year, who was hailed for having the best training camp of any player on the Cowboys roster, and who was clearly focused on a big season that would lead to a big payout in free agency next winter.
None of it has happened. The Cowboys have Pickens, and they’re not using him. Cleverly, Dallas Morning News writer Joseph Hoyt compared Pickens to, “a subscription that the Cowboys forgot they signed up for.” And Hoyt writes that the Cowboys, who have Pickens on a one-year, $27 million franchise tag contract, should dump Pickens and pick up whatever draft asset they can.
Trade Now, or Trade Later
The Cowboys-George Pickens marriage clearly is not working. Hoyt suggests they should recognize that and explore what cashing out might bring.
He wrote: “If the Cowboys were to trade Pickens then his new team couldn’t negotiate a long-term deal with him until after the season. That means a new team would be getting a receiver truly on an expiring contract, lowering the value of any potential midseason trade with Pickens. The Cowboys could wait until the offseason, tag Pickens again for a potential one-year deal worth more than $32 million, and then trade Pickens to a new destination … Would trading Pickens in a lost season for a Day 2 pick be worth it? Or is it better to wait to see what his market could be after the year?”
Either way, Pickens would not be in the long-term plans of the Cowboys in either case. They’d be trading him–either after of the coming NFL deadline on November 10, or in the winter. But trading him nonetheless. That’s not where we thought this season, and relationship, was heading two months ago.
Cowboys Could Cash Out on George Pickens ‘Subscription’ With Trade