The Washington Commanders need another target for quarterback Jayden Daniels, and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens is aching for entrance to the trade market.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported via the “Pat McAfee Show” on Monday, April 27 that Pickens either “wants a longterm contract, or he would like a trade,” per Bleacher Report.
The Cowboys, however, have been adamant that they do not intend to extend Pickens this offseason coming off a career year, in which he tallied 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine TDs on his way to Pro Bowl honors and a second-team All-Pro selection.
Jeremy Fowler, also of ESPN, reported Monday that Dallas has “no plans to trade” Pickens, who has not yet signed his $27.3 million franchise tender for the upcoming season.
All of that context and reporting points to a likelihood of contentiousness between the Cowboys and their star 25-year-old wideout, who has not shied away from public conflict before — both with the Pittsburgh Steelers, his former team, and other people/entities.
All of that said, Dallas owner Jerry Jones noted over the weekend that he has no qualms about trading within the NFC East Division, something he displayed with his actions during Round 1 of the NFL draft on Thursday night when he flipped the No. 20 pick to the Philadelphia Eagles that allowed the Cowboys’ fiercest rival to secure receiver Makai Lemon out of USC.
“I don’t really pay much attention to who I’m talking to,” Jones said, per Pro Football Talk. “Al Davis, probably the first thing he tried to put in my head was, ‘Don’t even answer a call from your division.’ … I didn’t take that lesson from Al.”
Given that, Washington should, at the very least, call on the Cowboys to inquire about Pickens’ potential price.
Commanders Don’t Have Luxury of Being Overly Patient Building Out Roster for QB Jayden Daniels
GettyWashington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Jones and company dealt a so-called untradable player just last year when they flipped pass-rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for two first-rounders and defensive tackle Kenny Clark, and Pickens doesn’t have near the cachet or résumé that Parsons does as a four-time top-three finisher in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Washington owns all of its picks in the 2027 draft, which is reputed to be one of the best classes of player talent across all positions in recent memory. But the draft is still the draft — there are busts, there are misses and some guys take time to realize their potential.
Pickens is now an established entity who just showed top-of-the-line talent and production during his age-24 campaign and is only approaching the cusp of his prime. The Commanders have a major deficiency in the receiver room beyond Terry McLaurin and need to protect/develop Daniels, the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year, by putting talent around him.
Furthermore, head coach Dan Quinn and company may be just one year away from the proverbial hot seat after opening the regime with a 12-5 campaign that ended in the NFC Championship Game, which the team followed up with a disappointing 5-12 season in 2025.
Commanders Can Justify Offer of 2027 First-Round Pick to Cowboys for George Pickens
GettyDallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens.
Dallas traded a third-round pick this year and a fifth-rounder in 2027 to Pittsburgh in exchange for Pickens last offseason.
If the animosity between the sides grows too strong, and/or the Cowboys don’t believe they will convince Pickens to ink with them longterm after ignoring his contract/trade request this offseason, then an offer of a first-rounder from Washington in a stacked draft might be enough to pry the wide receiver loose.
That is a huge price to pay considering the number of roster holes that still exist in Washington, but the team had a solid draft with limited assets over the weekend. Adding Pickens and returning a healthy Daniels back into the fold in 2026 could result in a much better finish this year and a much lower draft selection in Round 1 next April.
Considering the circumstances, Pickens definitely merits a call from Washington to Dallas. And if the Commanders can get in the mix for him with the offer of a first-round pick next spring, perhaps with an early Day 3 selection coming back from the Cowboys (Round 4 or 5, for instance), it’s a move Quinn and company must consider making.
Commanders Trade Pitch Nets George Pickens After Bombshell Cowboys Report