We asked Cowboys’ George Pickens if he’ll be at minicamp. Here’s what happened
While the Dallas Cowboys wrapped up their final organized team activity workout Thursday in Frisco, wide receiver George Pickens was in South Texas hosting a pair of youth camps in McAllen and Corpus Christi.
Pickens, who did not participate in the voluntary OTAs, signed the franchise tag this offseason but is still seeking a long-tern contract.
At the Corpus Christi event, the Star-Telegram was able to briefly catch up with Pickens to ask if he planned on being present for the Cowboys’ mandatory minicamp next week. His answer?
Pickens gave a shrug with an “uhhhh” before a representative of his agency cut him off to say he would not be answering any more questions.
Speaking at OTAs over the last two weeks, head coach Brian Schottenheimer said that while he hasn’t gotten a commitment from Pickens that he will be present, he does expect the star wide receiver to be there.
Pickens’ answer to the Star-Telegram seemed less optimistic.
“My conversations with George have been positive,” Schottenheimer said Tuesday. “Just about life in general, so I expect and hope he’s here [for minicamp]. Hope and expect is the same thing, you can’t make anybody do something.”
Before the holdout question, Pickens talked about his offseason, mentioning that he is looking forward to using his experience to his advantage in 2026.
“I would probably say knowing the game,” Pickens said about his biggest offseason improvement. “This is year five for me, and I’m definitely knowing the game better than I did in year four and three.”
Cowboys will have to wait it out until Tuesday
If Pickens planned on being at the Cowboys’ facility on Tuesday, what would prevent him from saying he would be present?
That’s probably the biggest takeaway from Thursday’s interaction. He doesn’t gain anything by having everyone wait it out, unless he is truly still deciding for himself, along with his agent(s). If Pickens does not show up next week, he is subject to his first offseason fines since the minicamp portion is mandatory for all players.
With the franchise tag signed, Pickens has until July 15 to convince the Cowboys that a long-term contract is the best solution. The Cowboys explicitly stated in April that they will not be offering him a long-term deal and instead expect him to play on the franchise tag in 2026. His feelings about that situation still remain unknown.
“I expect he’ll be here,” Schottenheimer said June 4. “I think he’s in a good spot. 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. This is just part of the business.”
Pickens puts on camp for South Texas community
In front of a sold-out youth camp at Cabaniss Athletic Complex in Corpus Christi, Pickens was heavily engaged with the 200-plus kids throughout the event. Even when a parent would slip past security to try and snag a photo with the Cowboys star, he was open and accepting.
“I had fun with the kids,” Pickens said. “Having fun with the kids is important to me.”
After the four-hour camp in heat that exceeded 95 degrees in the late afternoon, Pickens left his young fans with a parting message.
“Grind, put that first,” Pickens said to the campers. “Grind at the thing you want to find yourself in. Next, stay smart. Stay in school, keep with the right friends and don’t be a bad kid.”
Pickens will host one more youth camp in Frisco on July 11.
