The Dallas Cowboys are not having a good 2026 NFL season. Despite a wide-open NFC East with the Philadelphia Eagles' collapse, the Cowboys are just 3-5 this year and recently lost to the Arizona Cardinals in a heartbreaking overtime game.

Heading into Week 9, the last week before the NFL trade deadline, the Cowboys have a big question they need to ask themselves: Should they buy, sell, or stand pat? It's a real question, and it's brought about some trade rumors about wide receiver George Pickens.

ESPN's Ben Solak, based on those Pickens trade rumors, is predicting that the Cowboys will lose in Week 9 to the Indianapolis Colts, and then ship out Pickens in a move that would actually make a lot of sense for the Cowboys.

Cowboys predicted to trade George Pickens by ESPN analyst

"I'm calling my shot here: The Cowboys lose to the Colts in Week 9, and at 3-6, Pickens is frustrated enough that the Cowboys make a trade before next Tuesday," Solak predicts.

This is a very bold prediction, and one that is not very likely to happen. As bad as the Cowboys have been at times this year, losing to the Colts would be a massive upset.

Indianapolis has already begun to sell, and they looked helpless against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8. If the Cowboys lost to the Colts, they would have no choice but to sell.

However, regardless of whether the Cowboys beat the Colts or not, trading Pickens would actually make some sense for this team.

Joey Porter Jr. and Pickens are free agents after this season, and it would be difficult to keep both unless one signs an extension and Jerry Jones can put the franchise tag on the other.

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Instead, it would make sense for the Cowboys to trade Pickens, especially with the emergence of Ryan Flournoy, recouping some draft capital that this team desperately needs.

Between the 2027 and 2028 NFL Drafts, the Cowboys only have 10 draft picks. They've parted with a lot of value over the last year or so, and now are in a bit of a pickle when it comes to draft capital.

With the 2026 season seemingly not going anywhere positive, trading Pickens would likely net the Cowboys multiple draft picks, including one potentially as good as a third-rounder.

It would make perfect sense for the Cowboys to trade Pickens this year, and while Solak's prediction of a loss to the Colts in Week 9 might be a bit unrealistic, the idea of trading away Pickens by the deadline on November 10 actually makes perfect sense.

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