The Cowboys didn’t move much before Tuesday’s trade deadline, and the quiet around George Pickens may have told Dallas more than any deal could have.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Cowboys didn’t receive “ any trade calls” on Pickens, a surprising detail for a player whose name had been at the center of so much speculation. Plenty of fans had talked themselves into the idea of flipping him for a second-round pick, but that never appears to have been a real possibility.
Dallas had little reason to force anything. With limited draft resources and a team that has inspired the opposite of confidence through its first nine games, a major deadline swing was never easy to justify. Still, Pickens was the storyline hanging over the roster, and the lack of outside interest stands out.
Only three wide receivers changed teams before the November 10 cutoff: Josh Downs, Keenan Allen and Marvin Harrison Jr. Their prices help explain the market Dallas was staring at.
Downs went from the Colts to the Chiefs for a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2027 fifth. Allen moved from the Colts to the 49ers for a 2027 sixth-round pick. Harrison Jr. landed with the Texans for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth.
The Texans’ wild overpay for Marvin Harrison Jr., along with the Jaguars’ blockbuster trade for Jordan Davis, seems to have pushed prices up around the league. The Colts, for example, reportedly bumped their asking price for Jonathan Taylor to a first-round pick.
That should have created an opening for Dallas if it ever wanted to cash in on Pickens. Instead, nobody bit. If teams weren’t willing to pay up now, it raises the obvious question of what they’ll be willing to do later.
A trade for Pickens would have required a hefty price tag, likely at least a second-round pick just to rent him for the rest of the season and the playoffs. His impending free agency only made that harder to sort through. A second-rounder plus an extension north of $30 million annually is a massive investment for a player whose reputation still seems to split opinion around the league.
That’s why the lack of calls matters. It doesn’t guarantee Pickens will be short on suitors in March, but it does suggest Dallas may not be walking into the kind of bidding war some expected.
There’s always a team or two willing to push the market in free agency, especially for a wide receiver. The source of that pressure can come from just one aggressive bidder. But the Cowboys have at least learned that no club was eager to test the waters by trading for him.
That’s notable because Dallas already dealt with Pickens’ market once this offseason. The Cowboys used the non-exclusive franchise tag on him, which allowed him to sign an offer sheet elsewhere.
If Dallas chose not to match, it would have received two first-round picks in return. Even then, there wasn’t a sniff of interest in Pickens before he signed the tender right before the 2026 NFL Draft.
Pickens has WR1 talent, but he isn’t a clean fit in every respect. He’s not a crisp route-runner, his effort can dip when the play isn’t designed for him, and his blocking effort has been inconsistent.
Those issues won’t keep him from getting paid. They may, however, make teams think twice before handing him top-of-the-market money. If the trade market is any guide, Dallas may have more leverage than it first seemed.
Jerry Jones may not get Pickens at a discount. But the Cowboys may have a better read on his value than they did before the deadline.
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