Pro Bowl receiver ends 'holdout', returns for mandatory minicamp today

Any time a franchise-tagged Pro Bowl receiver is absent from voluntary practices, it causes a league-wide stir, and fans of the team start to get a little nervous.

When the player concerned led said team in yards and touchdowns last year, and finished third in the race for the NFL's receiving crown behind only OPOY Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Puka Nacua, those fans can be forgiven for getting a little antsy.

That exact situation unfolded in Dallas in recent months, but Cowboys Nation can now breathe a huge sigh of relief as the situation appears to be coming to an end.

George Pickens returns!

After putting pen to paper on his franchise tag back in April, George Pickens elected to skip the voluntary sessions, as was his right.

"I expect he'll be here," head coach Brian Schottenheimer told reporters almost two weeks ago, referring to the team's mandatory minicamp, which opens on June 16.

It turns out Schottenheimer was right. On Monday, George Pickens showed up for his physical and reportedly intends to take part in the three-day session.

It's hard to overstate how big the news is, with Pickens enjoying a career-best 93-catch, 1,429-yard season and, in doing so, helping the Dak Prescott-led offense rank first in passing yards.

The financial implications of Pickens' attendance

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, this outcome was never in doubt.

"He was always going to show up for minicamp," Rapoport said on The Insiders, available to NFL Game Pass subscribers on DAZN.

Rapoport went on to explain how Pickens could have been fined if he wasn't present for the mandatory sessions, before saying that "showing up, on time, and doing what's right" is "only the start of it."

Whether Pickens' willingness to attend means a long-term deal is in the works is still unclear.

Back in April, executive VP Stephen Jones admitted "it's not easy having two receivers being paid top of the market," which sits a little awkwardly alongside the Cowboys' talk of "long-term plans" for Pickens.

The extension deadline is July 15. If it passes without a new deal, don't expect the Cowboys to lose much sleep over it.