Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys are names to watch in the 2026 NFL Draft. Not just because the Cowboys are among the teams with multiple first-round picks in 2026, but because they’ve expressed interest in moving across the board. Shortly after announcing George Pickens will play through a franchise tag in the upcoming campaign, reports indicate the organization in Arlington has tried to make peace with agent David Mulugheta.
According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, Cowboys owner Jerry and COO Stephen Jones held a professional conversation with Mulugheta in which they discussed Pickens’ future in Dallas. Mulugheta and the franchise in Arlington have been through a lot, and both sides may benefit from wiping the slate clean.
Hours away from Roger Goodell announcing the first overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft—to no one’s surprise, it will most definitely be Fernando Mendoza to the Las Vegas Raiders—Jones and the Cowboys are staying busy. In fact, they have reportedly reached—or made an effort to reach—a truce with Mulugheta.
Still, anything can happen, and if history has taught us anything, it’s that even the nicest-looking gift can turn into a trap. Don’t believe it? Ask the Trojans. As Pickens could hold leverage over Jones and the Cowboys amid the contract standoff, the front office in Dallas is making sure to cover all its bases.
Jerry Jones at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Jones recently took a shot at Mulugheta
Pickens’ future has been up in the air for quite some time. The Cowboys have now ruled out a long-term extension for the star wideout and will have him under the franchise tag for the 2026 NFL season.
In more ways than one, it feels like Dallas is playing hardball with Pickens as a means of getting at his agent, and the wide receiver is the collateral damage. Jones hasn’t been too secretive with his thoughts on Mulugheta. “If he worked without an agent, he’d save a lot of money with me,” Jones said back in March about Pickens, with a clear dig at Mulugheta, whom he hasn’t often seen eye to eye with.
Mulugheta, who works for Athletes First, is also Micah Parsons’ agent. Everybody knows how that story ended—as it’s the reason the Dallas Cowboys own two first-rounders, and why the Green Bay Packers don’t have a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft—and why the front office in Dallas isn’t too fond of Mulugheta.
Could Pickens be traded out of Dallas?
Whether a player can be traded is often a complex question in the NFL—one that can rarely be answered with a simple yes or no. Simply put, virtually every player outside of franchise quarterbacks can be traded with little remorse from teams.
When it comes to Pickens, whom the Cowboys want to keep around but are unwilling to sign to his presumed long-term deal, it leaves the door open for a trade. The fact Dallas and Pickens’ agent don’t get along particularly well only adds to the suspense, and the timing of the 2026 NFL Draft may be the cherry on top.
Thus, if there’s a time and place for Pickens to be moved, before, during, or in the aftermath of the draft might be a reasonable window for the Cowboys to explore those possibilities. If Jones realizes there’s no bridge left to mend with Mulugheta, and Pickens won’t follow his advice to go solo in negotiations, then the Cowboys could conclude that a trade before—or during—the season is better than watching Pickens walk out as an unrestricted free agent.
Legal aspect complicates trade
“Players who have been offered franchise tags must sign the tender in order to formally process a trade,” Spotrac reported. Thus, until Pickens signs the tender, he can’t be traded by Dallas. And if he is—once the tender is signed—the team that acquires him would have to absorb his roughly $27.3 million cap hit for the 2026 NFL season.
Regardless of whether his new team gives him a new deal or not, Pickens will carry that cap hit in 2026. This complicates trade talks around Pickens. Either a team is willing to take on nearly $30 million against the cap, or the Cowboys hold on to him for the season—and the drama resumes next year.
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