AI Summary
5 min readThe Dallas Cowboys' George Pickens showed up to mandatory minicamp, which counts as news in June. Ben Maller is skeptical. Pickens, who skipped voluntary OTAs and was unhappy about the franchise tag, now says he is "perfectly fine" playing the 2026 season under the $27.3 million tag. Maller calls this "cosplay" — a temporary performance of the model employee. The real test comes in October, when targets and catches determine happiness. Pickens' big 2025 numbers came because CeeDee Lamb was injured; with Lamb healthy, targets will drop, and so will the stats that drive his next contract. Maller calls this "trickle down football economics": when the guy ahead of you stays healthy, your production goes down. Pickens has no leverage — he signed the tag — and Maller predicts the first bad game or skipped meeting will end the charade.
The Reverse Perp Walk
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:04) **Show Open & Host Introduction** - Ben Maller kicks off the show with a high-energy intro, setting the stage for the night's topics.
- 2 (05:03) **George Pickens and the Franchise Tag** - Ben discusses Cowboys WR George Pickens showing up to mandatory minicamp after skipping voluntary OTAs, claiming he's fine with the franchise tag.
- 3 (12:14) **Rashee Rice's Jail Release and Media Dodge** - Ben covers Chiefs WR Rashee Rice's release from Dallas County Jail after a 30-day sentence for a probation violation.
- 4 (18:39) **Brendan Sorsby and the Supplemental Draft** - Ben discusses Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby entering the NFL supplemental draft amid gambling controversy.
- 5 (26:11) **World Cup Fever and Listener Banter** - Ben and Lorena briefly discuss the World Cup, with Ben admitting he's not fully invested beyond Team USA.
- 6 (37:15) **Who Am I Game** - Ben plays a trivia game, asking listeners to identify the NBA champion who, along with Karl-Anthony Towns, averaged 15+ points on 50/40/90 shooting in the playoffs.
- 7 Standout Quotes
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Ben Maller talks about George Pickens showing up to minicamp and saying he's ok with not getting an extension, Chiefs WR Rashee Rice having to dodge reporters after leaving jail, NFL teams already making inquiries about Brendan Sorsby, and more!
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More from this podcast
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