FRISCO, Texas — As the Dallas Cowboys get into the full swing of voluntary OTAs to begin the month of June, they do so having not yet seen George Pickens return to the field. The Pro Bowl receiver recently signed his franchise tag, committing to play in 2026, and head coach Brian Schottenheimer is confident Pickens will be in the building soon.
"As you guys know, it's voluntary," Schottenheimer said of Pickens' absence from OTAs, making it clear he and Pickens are still in constant communication. "I [spoke] with G.P. yesterday. He's got a football camp this weekend that he's doing. Communication has been good.
"[OTAs] is voluntary, and he's taking care of his business."
As for what the timeline is for Pickens to report, it's fairly simple. With his tag signed, a fine will apply if he isn't present for three-day mandatory minicamp starting June 16.
That isn't something Schottenheimer and the Cowboys are anticipating being an issue.
"I expect he'll be here [for minicamp], and I think he's in a good spot," Schottenheimer added. "I know he's handling his business, and I know he misses his teammates. We miss him, too. You guys know how we feel about him — we love him, and this is just part of the business."
Pickens has continued training all offseason outside of the building to remain in-shape and ready to go for when he does report to the mandatory portion of the program, and that includes several throwing sessions with All-Pro quarterback Dak Prescott, who has continually pointed out how locked in Pickens has been.
"The guy that I know George is, obviously he signed the tag, so when he has to be there and ready to play, he's going to be there," Prescott said in late May. "He's a hell of a talent. We've thrown this offseason, so I'm comfortable with where he's at and I'm excited for when he can get in the building and get rolling."
It was a breakout season for Pickens that saw him rack up a career-high 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns while averaging nearly 16 yards per catch en route to receiving his first-ever Pro Bowl nod. He's looking to equal or better than impact in 2026, to better his odds of landing a long-term contract one year from now.
