Jerry Jones speaks on Pickens, Aubrey and a potential return for Clowney
After the conclusion of the NFL Annual League Meeting in Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones held court with reporters for over half an hour to discuss the latest happenings in the team’s offseason, the upcoming draft in April and what’s left to do before heading to training camp in July.
As headlines continue to permeate surrounding wide receiver George Pickens’ status with the franchise tag, kicker Brandon Aubrey’s contract status, the state of the linebacker room and more, Jones addressed all the big talking points on Tuesday.
Here were the highlights from that conversation.
Plans hum, but George Pickens seems headed for the franchise tag
The Cowboys swiftly applied the franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens before he could hit free agency earlier this month. And while that is expected to create a contract standoff for the team’s leading receiver from 2025, Jones doesn’t show much panic about Pickens’ status in Dallas — even if there is uncertainty on how exactly it will play out.
“The collective bargaining agreement clearly anticipates the franchise tag and that’s part of what you sign up for in the NFL when you’re playing in the NFL or you’re a team in the NFL,” Jones said. “And the franchise tag is there for a purpose. It’s to benefit the process to go ahead and put your team together. We are availing ourselves of it.”
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said on Monday that he hasn’t gotten any assurances on Pickens’ presence when team voluntary workouts begin on April 20. Jones reiterated similar thoughts on Tuesday.
“I don’t have a thought about expecting him or not,” he said. “Don’t know that one way or the other. I know he’s working out with and throwing with our quarterback. So, all of that’s going good.”
Jones famously made headlines at this same event last year when he said he didn’t know the name of Micah Parsons’ agent. Oddly enough, Pickens has the same one in David Mulugheta. He didn’t throw that brazen of a quote out there this time, but he did acknowledge that there hasn’t been any contact between the two sides lately, even if there are plans to keep Pickens beyond 2026.
“I think you would refer to contact with agent and we haven’t,” he said. “Make no mistake about it, we have long-term plans in mind for Pickens.”
Trade market or draft could address linebacker hole
Also like Schottenhiemer acknowledged on Monday, Jones said that the team swung and missed on a handful of linebackers in free agency that have put them in a precarious spot at the position. Jones said that the team has tried to work some trades to no avail.
“We’re looking to improve there, personnel-wise,” he said. “And are continuing to do so right now before the draft as well as the potential in the draft. We want to get better there with personnel. We’ve been trying very much to make some trades. They haven’t worked out for us there, but that won’t deter us from getting better there.”
While the open position needs an intelligent communicator who can get everyone in position defensively on the field, Jones was emphatic that he thinks a rookie could fill that spot if they land on the right one in the draft.
Brandon Aubrey headed for the tender
It wasn’t necessarily expected that kicker Brandon Aubrey would be part of the offseason contract drama, but here we are.
As the second-round tender contract of one-year, $5.8 million sits on his agent’s desk, the three-time Pro Bowl kicker seems headed for that conclusion — despite a long-term contract being offered to him before the season and after the season, according to Cowboys officials.
“I would say that I’m satisfied short of where we are with him signing the tender offer,” Jones said. “I’m satisfied with where we are there.”
Jones did say that he wants Aubrey’s future to be in Dallas. That could include a reality where Aubrey is franchise-tagged in 2027 or finally signed to a long-term deal.
“I’m not going to get into what it would take [to sign him to a long-term deal], because that’s obviously still subject of a negotiation,” Jones said. “But we do have long-term plans.”
Exploring trades within the first round of the draft
When Jones spoke about the possibility of trading around in the draft at the combine, he indicated that the team would be likelier to trade back than trade up from their No. 12 and No. 20 selections in the first round. But after acquiring a third-round pick in the trade that sent defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa to San Francisco, the tune could be changing about the possibility of moving up.
“I’ve looked at that mirror a lot,” Jones said. “About how to go up and down and trade and do those kinds of things. And absolutely, we’ll entertain improving or an in-draft read on what gives us a better chance to get another player, and still have our pick and the red meat of top players.”
Movement in the first round from the Cowboys has typically come on draft day rather than beforehand. In 2024, the Cowboys moved back from No. 24 to No. 29 when they selected Tyler Guyton. In 2013, they gave up No. 18 to move back to No. 31 when Travis Frederick was selected. In 2010, they moved up to grab Dez Bryant. In 2013, it was another move up to grab Morris Claiborne.
In short, the Cowboys have been more than comfortable moving up and down in the first round in years past. And with two first-round picks, that potential is higher than it’s been in over a decade.
“Now that has an on-the-board aspect to it, but it’s very doable,” Jones said. “And yes you should, when you’ve got the kind of assets or the kind of ammunition we’ve got in this draft, you should look at all machinations. It’s one thing to sit here right now, it’s another thing to sit and look at it three hours into the draft and see what you got there. So, all of that is a possibility.”
Don’t expect natural grass at AT&T Stadium
AT&T Stadium in Arlington is gearing up to host nine FIFA World Cup matches this summer, and one part of the extensive stadium adjustments that are needed to host the event is changing the playing surface from turf to natural grass.
In recent years, players have voiced that they feel grass is better on their bodies than turf, but Jones disputed that point on Tuesday.
“We have more flexibility with the way we handle our surface at the stadium,” Jones said. “We have no belief that it’s any safer to play on a grass [surface] over turf. We are ambiguous as to the safety of it. The turf actually, like many things, improved the economics of being able to play this game, and our players are the biggest benefactor of all.”
While the surface is modifiable, Jones has no plans to change the surface during the NFL season.
“I’m very comfortable putting some grass down for soccer under regulations and proud to be able to do it,” he said. “But, quickly get that turf back out there to go back to the other business of the stadium and the team.”
Is Jadeveon Clowney returning in 2026?
Late in the 2025 season, Jones and Schottenheimer both were loud about their praise for veteran defensive end Jadeveon Clowney in his short time with the team. Executive vice president Stephen Jones said at the end-of-season press conference that he would be a priority to retain in free agency.
But just over a month later, the tune had changed, and the two sides never did engage on a potential return. Whether the scheme change under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker played a role or something else, it doesn’t appear that Clowney is in the team’s plans as of now.
“It’s real hard when you look at how Clowney came on last year in the snaps he gave us,” Jones said. “It’s real hard not to have a place there for Clowney, but you can’t have it all. You just can’t have it all. If things go right for us, we’ve already made a signing, we’ve made trades, we think that’s the better way to go. And, of course, we got the draft. It can very easily answer some of that question.”
This story was originally published March 31, 2026 at 5:01 PM.
