Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens drew attention when he skipped the team’s voluntary OTAs, raising speculation about his commitment to the team. Now, an NFL insider shared new details about the reason for Pickens' absence from the offseason workouts.

Appearing on NFL Network's Good Morning Football, NFL Insider Jane Slater explained that Pickens is ready for the upcoming season and that there is no tension between him and the team.

“He talked to us this offseason and said the reason he wasn't there in the OTAs was simply put: his agent told him not to,” Jane Slater said on the GMFB show on the NFL Network. “His agent told him, ‘Get there when you have to be...’ So I get where they're coming from on that, but it doesn't seem like he's interested in being a headache for this team.”

The team franchise tagged ($27.3M) Pickens, locking him in to play for the Cowboys in the 2026 season. The Cowboys have been firm in their decision not to sign a long-term extension or trade Pickens.

This led to speculation of a contract holdout, as he enters the 2026 season after a breakout campaign of career highs in receptions (93), receiving yards (1,429), and touchdowns (nine) in 2025.

"I even pulled him off to the side and said, 'Look - fool me once, don't fool me twice," Slater said on the Good Morning Football show on the NFL Network. "We had Micah Parsons show up to camp after going through some of his contract issues, and then all of a sudden, he had a back issue. I asked if he sees any lingering injuries that might pop up, and he said absolutely not - he's ready to be there."

Slater drew parallels to linebacker Micah Parsons' hold-in situation last year, due to contract disagreements with the Cowboys. However, Pickens dismissed the comparison as he remained more focused on helping the team reach the Super Bowl title.

Jane Slater credits the Cowboys locker room for Pickens' commitment

NFL's Jane Slater believes that Pickens is here to stay with the Cowboys, as the Pro Bowler credited his teammates for not letting him hold out.

"In fact, if you're concerned about his conditioning, he worked out with the guys this offseason," Slater said on the same GMFB show. "He said he was in their homes, and when you're in the homes of these guys, and you see how bad they want it - how locked in they are - you can't help but be a part of that."

Slater further revealed that Pickens had good chemistry with his team members during the mandatory minicamp. Pickens "did a little shimmy" after he made a toe-tap catch along the sideline as quarterback Dak Prescott threw the ball to him.

The analyst believes that the wideout remains focused on contributing to the team's Super Bowl aspirations, rather than worrying about the contract situation.

Are you buying into Jane Slater’s report that there is zero friction between both sides, or do you think a contract holdout could still be on the table? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore