![\"Cowboys'](\"https:\/\/kupitiblog.store\/597\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/5da3abbe533ac9a8f4f39fdd9b24887b.webp\" "\\"Cowboys'")
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Move over, A.J. Brown and Aaron Rodgers. George Pickens has just joined you atop the NFL\u2019s pile of unfinished offseason business.<\/p>\n
With the rest of the league readying to shore up remaining roster holes following last week\u2019s NFL Draft, Pickens news barged into the cycle Monday \u2014 thanks to multiple reports that he has not signed his franchise tag. This despite multiple prior reports heading into the first day of the draft, which indicated that the Dallas Cowboys wideout intended to sign.<\/p>\n
That news initially sent shockwaves through the league Thursday, as Pickens signing the one-year deal would make him eligible for any potential trades during \u2014 and after \u2014 the draft. ESPN\u2019s Adam Schefter reported on a Monday appearance on \u201cThe Pat McAfee Show\u201d that Pickens wanted a long-term contract or a trade. However, a video featuring those comments from the ESPN insider was later taken down from the show\u2019s X account, and Schefter later made an additional appearance reporting that Pickens\u2019 franchise tag remained unsigned.<\/p>\n
The confusion \u2014 and Pickens\u2019 lack of signing the tag \u2014 potentially sets up another roller-coaster summer for the Cowboys, who spent last offseason grappling with contract extension and trade reports surrounding star pass rusher Micah Parsons. Parsons and Pickens share the same agent, David Mulugheta of Athletes First. Parsons was ultimately traded to the Green Bay Packers prior to the season, after rounds of public jousting between the Cowboys and their edge rusher.<\/p>\n
Now Pickens\u2019 contract situation will come into acute focus over the next several weeks and months. He has until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal with the Cowboys. After that point, he will have to play out the 2026 season on a one-year fully-guaranteed deal for $27.3 million. Nearly two weeks ago, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones informed Mulugheta that the team would not be doing a long-term extension with Pickens this offseason. Until Pickens signs the franchise tag, Dallas will not have the ability to fine him for missing mandatory activities \u2014 effectively giving Pickens the ability to hold out as long as 10 weeks into the regular season.<\/p>\n
The first significant marker for the Cowboys and Pickens is now the full-squad mandatory minicamp that is scheduled for June 16-18. As of now, it appears Dallas has no plans to trade Pickens \u2014 but that was the belief about trading Parsons at this time last year. The timeline of what happens next and when (or if) Pickens signs his tag is now in his hands.<\/p>\n
Of course, he\u2019s not the only headlining player who is going to draw a spotlight heading toward the June mandatory camps. Brown is still in a holding pattern with the Philadelphia Eagles as he awaits an anticipated trade to the New England Patriots, while the Pittsburgh Steelers are still waiting on word from quarterback Aaron Rodgers about his plans for the 2026 season.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what we know about those two situations:<\/p>\n
Any trade of Brown has been on hold until after June 1, when the Eagles can split his $43.4 million salary cap hit over the next two seasons, rather than taking the full accelerated hit on the 2026 books. That has put Brown\u2019s availability on a back burner for the entirety of this offseason.<\/p>\n
However, the Eagles\u2019 pursuit of a package containing a first-round draft pick in exchange for Brown had not changed as recently as last week, according to several league sources who spoke to Yahoo Sports about Philadelphia\u2019s asking price. With the New England Patriots believed to be the Eagles\u2019 chosen trade partner, that demand of a first-round pick complicates a deal. With the 2027 draft expected to yield a deep and talented class of prospects, many franchises have balked at giving up 2027 draft capital in trades.<\/p>\n
However, where it concerns Brown, there\u2019s a possibility the Eagles would be open to pushing first-round draft compensation back one year, giving the Patriots the flexibility to deal a 2028 first rather than a choice in 2027. As of now, it\u2019s believed a deal is still on track for a resolution in June.<\/p>\n
The Steelers\u2019 offseason at quarterback seems to following last year\u2019s design, which was a sustained preparation to sign Rodgers and surround him with a \u201cwin now\u201d team. With that in mind, Pittsburgh didn\u2019t address the quarterback room until the sixth round of the 2025 draft \u2014 clearly keeping the team\u2019s starting job open for Rodgers.<\/p>\n
Last week\u2019s draft featured much of the same under new head coach Mike McCarthy, as the Steelers waited until the middle of the third round to select Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. That shaped up Pittsburgh\u2019s quarterback depth chart into the trio of Allar, second-year player Will Howard and veteran Mason Rudolph. This, once again, leaves a door wide open for Rodgers, who has kept a low profile for most of this offseason.<\/p>\n
The key date here: The Steelers\u2019 mandatory veteran minicamp is slated for June 2-4. While Pittsburgh hasn\u2019t set any hard deadlines publicly, it\u2019s believed the coaching staff would like to have Rodgers in the fold by that camp \u2014 if he is ultimately planning to continue his career for another season. Interestingly, his former head coach Mike Tomlin opined about Rodgers\u2019 future in his new job as an analyst for NBC, predicting the veteran quarterback would indeed pay for the Steelers in 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cMan, if you\u2019ve got a gun to my head, I\u2019d say it\u2019s AR \u2014 Aaron,\u201d Tomlin said of the Steelers\u2019 starting QB next season. \u201cI just think, being around him for the 12 months I\u2019m around him, he\u2019s got a love affair with the game of football. And not only the game, but the process.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he has an addiction to that. And there\u2019s only one way to feed it. And certainly, he is still capable and in really good shape. I think at the end of the day, he\u2019ll play football.\u201d<\/p>\n