The Dallas Cowboys’ wide receiver George Pickens chose to skip attending the voluntary sessions that the team started on June 1. In his absence, the franchise went on to sign 31-year-old Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who is proving to be worth the search.

The Cowboys signed the veteran to a low-risk, one-year deal worth $1.487 million, and Valdes-Scantling is already producing in practice and earning first-team reps during spring practices. 

“He was targeted by Dak Prescott a handful of times and even bailed out his new quarterback on a throw that went behind him that he had to swat down to prevent P J Locke from intercepting it,” said Cowboys insider Nick Harris.

In the absence of Pickens, the Cowboys are handing early first-team practice reps to help Valdes-Scantling get a role in the depth chart or be a safety net in case Pickens’ drama continues and doesn’t work out, per Sami Haider of The Sporting News.

Valdes-Scantling is also a two-time Super Bowl Champion with the Kansas City Chiefs and is a low-risk depth addition to the Cowboys’ WR room.

Per Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, Pickens heads into the 2026 season after a breakout campaign in 2025. He recorded all career highs in 1,429 receiving yards, 93 receptions, and 9 touchdowns, earning his first Pro-Bowl nod. 

After his 2025 performance, Pickens was looking for a long-term contract with the Cowboys, but the franchise didn’t entertain negotiations. The WR then hoped to get another contract or trade from another team, but it didn’t happen, so Pickens ended up signing the franchise tag.

With Dallas not committing to Pickens for the long term, the wide receiver has opted to miss the voluntary workouts. With the mandatory minicamp approaching, the Cowboys are taking no chances by signing and preparing Valdes-Scantling, but remain hopeful of Pickens’ return.

Cowboys Remain Confident in Pickens’ Commitment

With uncertainty around Pickens’ appearance at the mandatory minicamp, QB Dak Prescott shared that the limited practices with the WR have been valuable.

“They were great. George is George,” said Prescott. “He’s great, he’s awesome… I’m excited about when he gets in and the work that we’re going to have to build off of. George is George, and he’s fine.”

Per Michael Gallagher of Newsweek, if Pickens missed the minicamp, he would’ve had to pay a fine of more than $100,000. The Cowboys’ head coach, Brian Schottenheimer, expressed confidence about the WR attending the mandatory minicamp. 

“I expect he’ll be here (for next week’s minicamp) and I think he’s in a good spot,” said coach Schottenheimer. “I know he’s handling his business, and I know he misses his teammates. We miss him, too. We love him, and this is just part of the business.”

A recent report by USA Today quashed tensions between the Cowboys and Pickens by confirming that the Pro Bowl wide receiver did report to the team on June 15 before the mandatory minicamp. 

Do you think Pickens will have a standout season?

Written by

Naomi Grace

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi