What did head coach Brian Schottenheimer say about his leading wide receiver from the last NFL season? 

Brian Schottenheimer has seen this movie before. This happens all around the league, and this time it is his WR1 who's in the hot seat. Schottenheimer has been in the NFL for almost three decades now. 

“My relationship with GP doesn’t change,” said Schottenheimer. The HC is still looking forward to working with his wide receiver in training camp.

“Just like it didn’t change with CeeDee or Dak when those guys were going through certain things. It’s all part of the process,” referring to the times there were uncertainties around Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.

There has been no dialogue between Pickens and Schottenheimer, but the head coach plans to speak with his trusty wide receiver soon.

When it comes to George Pickens, HC Schottenheimer said, "GP loves football."

There is still no guarantee that the WR will play for Dallas in 2026. At the time of writing this article, Pickens has yet to accept the tag, and the Cowboys have until March 3 to enforce the tag on Pickens or any other Cowboys player. 

Once the tag gets placed on Pickens, both parties have until July 15 to finalize a multi-year contract. “This is going to play out the way it’s supposed to play out,” Schottenheimer said on Thursday from the NFL Combine.

George Pickens was the leading wide receiver for Brian Schottenheimer and the Dallas Cowboys offense in 2025. The Cowboys would love to have their WR back for 2026. Pickens made his first Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro selection in 2025.

Who are some of the free agent signings that Dallas can go after?

The NFL is a business, and all the teams are ‌respective franchises. Sometimes things happen that can never be made sense of. 

In the off chance that things go south and Pickens gets traded, because, as the famous saying goes, “never say never,” these are some of the free agent wide receivers going into the 2026 NFL season. 

Important note to remember: Pickens had a stellar 2025 season, and if Dallas loses him, they will lose a lot of their offense, and Dak loses one of his major weapons. 

Tyreek Hill, depending on whether he is fit or not, could be an option, but he is much older compared to Pickens and may not come cheap. Another name in the hat would be Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel, both veteran players in the league, but only age on their side. 

Another option could be Jauan Jennings, who never managed to claim the WR1 spot at the 49ers. At 28 years of age, he could be a serious option for the Cowboys. 

The Cowboys will still have the likes of CeeDee Lamb, but they would like to bolster the receiving unit if something happens with Pickens. 

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Written by

Samvruth Raj

Edited by

Joyita Das