The Dallas Cowboys are coming off a brutal 33-30 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals and are 3-5 in the season. Add to that the fact that the NFL trade deadline is fast approaching while George Pickens is playing on a one-year franchise tag, and it’s shaping up to be an interesting week in Dallas.

The Cowboys’ skid has made the wide receiver one of the names in the rumor mill as speculation grows over whether Dallas should become a seller. But when ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky argued on “NFL Live” that the Cowboys cannot afford to keep Pickens alongside CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott, NFL insider Ian Rapoport strongly disagreed.

Orlovsky had quite the expression as Rapoport explained the matter, and fans couldn’t help but joke about it.

Ian Rapoport Makes the Case Against a George Pickens Trade

Rapoport said he would be “beyond stunned” if Dallas traded Pickens, insisting the team has the room to make the finances work.

Rapoport left little doubt about where he stood on the matter, saying, “I would be beyond stunned. I don’t see it at all. The Cowboys are not really in the business of giving up good players. Plus, I mean, obviously someone they would like to hold on to into the future.”

Pickens, a Pro Bowl receiver, finished third in the NFL with 1,429 receiving yards in 2025, his first season in Dallas, and is tied for 19th in Pro Football Network’s NFL WR Impact Score with a grade of 79.8 through Week 8.

Orlovsky, meanwhile, questioned if the finances would work. “Why would you be stunned knowing that he’s not under contract and they can’t financially keep him, CeeDee, and Dak?” Pickens is signed only for this season, on a one-year, $27.3 million fully guaranteed franchise tag.

Rapoport immediately corrected Orlovsky’s suggestion. “They can. They definitely can. I mean, it would be a lot of resources at receiver and quarterback, but the Cincinnati Bengals are doing it, and they are okay. It’s really a matter of do they want him around.

“But, I mean, for me, the division the Cowboys are in, the schedule is not exactly the toughest schedule. They are talented. I have a hard time imagining this organization sells. Just knowing the impact it would have on the locker room and the entire state, basically, I don’t see them selling. I really don’t.”

At the NFL’s annual owners’ meetings in late March, owner and general manager Jerry Jones had said, “Make no mistake about it, we have long-term plans in mind for Pickens.”

Fans Praise Rapoport for Pushing Back on Orlovsky

As the clip of the interaction made the rounds, one fan thanked Rapoport for pushing back: “Appreciate you telling Dan Orlovsky that he’s wrong and the Cowboys can afford all 3.”

Mike Fisher, a Cowboys insider, brought up the joke of Orlovsky revealing last week on “The Pat McAfee Show” that he never understood how percentages worked: “Guy on the Left: Understands the Cowboys’ cap. Guy on the right: Recently admitted he ‘doesn’t understand percentages.'”

Others cared less about the discussion of the cap and were more interested in how Orlovsky’s take was corrected: “Ian just smoked Dan.”

Sports media outlet Law Nation Media pointed to what came after the rebuttal: “Telling Dan Orlovsky that he was wrong and that the Cowboys could afford all three was one thing. But watching him have to shut his mouth and listen? That was PURE GOLD to me!”

For another fan, Orlovsky’s expression was the highlight: “God that [expletive] look on Dan’s face is priceless!”

Dallas has gone the two-tag route before, with DeMarcus Lawrence in 2018 and 2019 and with Prescott in 2020 and 2021.

With that in mind, the Cowboys could use the franchise tag on Pickens all over again in 2027, though that second tag would cost at least $32.8 million, calculated at 120% of his current salary.