Cowboys' George Pickens Gets Contract Advice From Emmitt Smith
Pickens right now is set to play on the tag, with so many scenarios available to him, but he's just gotten some rather good advice on how to handle his situation.
Video Transcript
Straight dope, no bullsh.
You want the George Pickens Dallas Cowboys truth, or do you wanna be fed the same old regurgitated pabulum that's been driving this big ESPN story over the weekend, that in truth is so obviously just all about clickbait?
Mike Fisher reporting from Frisco, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys.
This is the Fish Bowl.
That is The Star.
We'll be inside The Star next week as the Cowboys get rolling with a voluntary OTA session, which has a lot to do with George Pickens.
I'm gonna do Fisher's Five this morning.
I'm gonna make five points really clear on what's going on with George Pickens, what's really going on with George Pickens.
I don't think we should do a Pickens watch, a daily Pickens watch.
I think that's excessive.
But checking in once in a while, especially when there's a breathless report from ESPN, that, that's probably merited.
And in the end, yeah, I, I don't Listen, I don't wanna obsess over, ESPN's gaffes here.
We do like to have fun with the question, do you wanna get your Cowboy information from Frisco, Frisco, or from Bristol?
Fisher's Five.
Let's clear this up.
And by the way, if, if you, if you have Cowboy-following fan friends who are confused by all this, why don't you tell them to come here, and it'll get them straightened out.
Point one, Pickens, star wide receiver, under contract for 2026, 27.3 million franchise tag.
Signed.
It's a storyline.
There's no debate there.
That's okay.
But the contract is si This isn't a, this isn't, we shouldn't even call it franchise tag anymore, barely.
It's a contract now.
Point two, with more clarity.
The Cowboys have stated in every possible way how much they adore George Pickens.
But they are not planning to negotiate a long-term contract at this time.
We'll add that little addendum there.
And they've announced it.
And the reasons are obvious.
They are choosing patience while watching to see if Pickens proves himself again in 2026.
That's their right.
It might cost him more, or, they might tag him again, or they might bid him farewell.
Those are all in play depending on how this goes.
But the Cowboys' plan is clear.
Argue about it if you wish.
Argue about its merits if you wish.
Point three.
Meanwhile, there's every indication from George himself and from those close to him that he has fully enjoyed immersing himself in the Cowboys experience.
He did not fully enjoy his time in Pittsburgh.
Traded here a year ago, that relationship went sour, in part due to George's own behavioral baggage.
Only in his heart of hearts can it be known how much he really takes responsibility himself for things that went wrong there.
But we all saw it.
And, and they might be exaggerating about it in retrospect, but they're not lying about it.
Mike Tomlin's not lying when in live time he said, i- in the middle of a season there in 2024, he said, "George needs to grow up."
That's not a lie.
Maybe he has grown up.
And part of his growing up maybe has been nurtured by a positive experience in Dallas.
So George, George loves it here is not a story.
Point four, more clarity.
We know that Pickens has been working out with Dak Prescott in the quarterback's Dak Yard.
By the way, Dak Prescott, making nice headlines over the course of the weekend as, his younger daughter celebrated her fir, fir, first birthday.
And Sarah Jane, his former fiance, put up a lovely photo of the family celebrating together.
That's good.
That's the way it should be.
And George working out in the Dak Yard, that's the way it should be too.
Also been hanging out, and by hanging out, I mean going on vacation, multiple places, with BFF receiver CeeDee Lamb.
So those workouts and that chemistry are part of it.
Point five, and one more item.
During the most recent voluntary sessions, the last time we checked, Pickens was a no-show, and is well within his right to do that.
The team anticipates that he'll be present once things go mandatory.
That's June 16th.
That's when Dallas launches its three-day mini camp.
Th- that will be a momentous Cowboys news day.
June 16th.
Is George here or isn't he?That will matter.
That's the next one.
So what's new here?
What is the updated rumor or rumors?
David E. Pena, Uncle Fish Premium.
Hey, how do I get the circle and star?
Ask the fellas.
They'll show you how.
I won't panic unless Uncle Fish tells me to panic.
Works for me, and I will when it's appropriate.
What is driving NFL insider Jeremy Fowler's breathless weekend appearance on ESPN SportsCenter?
Answer, clickbait.
Why ESPN thinks it needs to do this, I do not understand.
And of course, Jeremy Fowler, he's kind of like the weekend weatherman.
He gets to be in charge on Saturdays of ESPN's NFL coverage.
Don't get that either.
Here's Fowler's exact wording.
Pickens loves being a cowboy.
Loves, but loves a long-term deal more.
They weren't able to get one, but they're hopeful down the road they can work it out.
But I don't expect a holdout at this point.
He should be locked in for the Cowboys in 2026.
No spit, Sherlock.
Everything you just said is either well-established and regurgitation or baloney.
What's new here?
What's news here?
None of it.
The prediction on Pickens not holding out from mandatory work is a common one.
We're all predicting that.
We're predicting that because of the Cowboys' own comments.
Jerry, Stephen, Shoddy, Dak.
And I've been saying it since the day he signed or the day that he agreed to sign the contract.
There's no logic in signing the contract and holding out.
Doesn't mean it, you know, guys have done illogical things.
But if you were going to hold out, you wouldn't sign the contract.
Then it wouldn't be a holdout and you wouldn't get fined.
The note that Pickens loves being a cowboy, and that's in all the headlines, as in this world of regurgitation and the taking of a story and remaking it and repackaging it and repackaging it.
So every website in the country has a George Pickens loves the Cowboys headline.
Aggregation, it's called.
That's also well-established.
George loves being here.
We know that.
Rouse, what happens if George gets hurt while he's on the tag?
You mean like breaks his neck?
Then he's got $27 million guaranteed.
That's what happens.
Jeremy, $5 pitch in the super chat.
I think some of these guys just watch your show and copy your stuff.
80,000 people watch this show at different times.
So welcome to the show and you're welcome for real information here and at cowboysroundtable.com.
People close to Pickens have suggested to us that part of his affection for being here is about playing with Dak.
We know about the C.D.
Lamb thing.
But you talk to people who are involved here.
George Pickens has never played with a quarterback like Dak Prescott.
Not even close.
And that's part of his love of being here too.
Now, regarding the long-term contract desire that ESPN's Fowler is talking about.
He really wants a long-term contract.
I know.
So you mean ESPN that he'd rather have $140 million instead of $27 million?
You think?
Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's true.
George would rather have $140 million instead of $27 million.
You're right, ESPN.
You've done it again.
In the end, could all this go in a different direction?
Could all this blow up in everybody's face?
Or could all this get smoothed out in the greatest way possible?
Cowboys management could change its mind on a long-term deal, theoretically.
What if Pickens and agent David Malagetta go to the Cowboys and ask for a lower price than had been previously thought?
Or what if Pickens changes his mind and decides, I don't love it here?
That can happen too.
We just saw it a year ago.
He could, in theory, allow himself to be upset by the arrangement.
Or he could, or the Cowboys could give him more money.
Sure.
Change is possible.
But all we can report on is what both sides plan.
Neither of those directions, changing your mind on a long-term contract and giving it to him, or George Pickens deciding, I hate being a cowboy.
Neither of those directions are in the plans of either side.
The contract, the love, the relationships, all that is established.
None of that is new.
If we get to June 16th minicamp and George Pickens makes waves by ditching his requirement to show up, that will be news.
I'll be inside the star reporting on it.
And I'll let you know.
Real time, real reporting from Frisco.
Fish out.
