George Pickens Turns Up at Cowboys Minicamp, but Dak Prescott Deals With Knee Issue

George Pickens had sent fans into worry after shrugging off a question on the likelihood of his presence in the minicamp. He’d been absent for the voluntary OTAs, which had many suspecting that the drama around his franchise tag situation might still be unresolved. However, the WR finally put all those concerns to rest by showing up for the mandatory minicamp on June 16.

Per The Athletic’s Jon Machota, Pickens was a limited participant at the minicamp, not participating in team drills. He did go through individual drills, and was seen celebrating a catch with a dance, per ESPN. Pickens further confirmed that there was no drama to begin with following the tag.

“I want to bring a Super Bowl to a group of guys that never had that feeling,” Pickens said after the session. “That’s really the most important part of me. I’m here to definitely help the team. The tag and all that, it’s football first. So, definitely play football first, kind of like I did last year, and then worry about [the contract].”

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer also confirmed that the WR is 100% committed to working hard this season.

“He’s in a really good spot,” he told the press. “His smile is infectious, and when he’s around it’s great for us. I say it all the time, the influence he has, I don’t even think he has the understanding of how powerful it is because he loves playing the game so much and he loves playing the game, specifically here with his teammates.”

CHARLOTTE, NC – OCTOBER 12: Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens 3 during an NFL, American Football Herren, USA football game between the Carolina Panthers and the Dallas Cowboys on October 12, 2025 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire NFL: OCT 12 Cowboys at Panthers EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon251012106

After Pickens’ exceptional 2025 campaign, it was a no-brainer for the Dallas Cowboys to keep him on the roster at least for this season. Ideally, recording 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 93 receptions should have earned him a long contract. But perhaps there must still be some areas where Pickens needs to deliver. Executive Vice President Stephen Jones had confirmed in April that there were no plans for a contract extension for the WR for the time being.

Pickens is expected to be full go for training camp. It is not known why Pickens is being limited in practice, but the Cowboys might just be taking a precautionary measure with the WR’s health. If Pickens goes down by any chance, any hope of the Cowboys offense maintaining its offensive momentum from last year will go out the window.

However, it does not mean the WR remained without practice. He has been practicing away from the facility, and had a few sessions with Dak Prescott. His return to the building, however, will definitely lift the team’s morale.

However, Cowboys fans never seem to get the good news without the bad. While the presumed bad blood between Pickens and the team seems to have evaporated, Prescott seems to be dealing with a problem.

Dak Prescott adds his name to the injury list

Schottenheimer told the media that Prescott was to “be limited in practice” today, via Yahoo! Sports’ Jory Epstein. He assured that the problem was “nothing [they’re] concerned about, but they want to be “smart” at this point of offseason training.

Prescott performed in the 7-on-7s during the session, and in individual drills. Machota reported that he did “just about everything he’d normally do during practice.” Team participation, however, seems to be out of the question for the QB right now.

Last season, Prescott started all 17 games, recording 4,552 passing yards and 30 touchdown passes against 10 interceptions while completing 67.3% of his passes. He also boasted a 99.5 passer rating. With such stats, it’s no surprise the Cowboys are prioritizing his health over team drills.

It will only be with him that they have the best chance of overcoming the Super Bowl drought. Following the minicamp, there will be a gap before the summer training camp begins, by which time Prescott should be 100% healthy.

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