Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens signs franchise tag, locked in for 2026
Just hours before the start of the NFL draft on Thursday night, it was reported by NFL Network and ESPN that Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens is signing his franchise tag. While the signing has not been made official just yet, it is expected to happen in the coming days, according to a source.
“We’ve made a decision that we’re going to have George play under the franchise tag,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said on Wednesday. “Which won’t be a first for us. So, there won’t be negotiations on a long-term deal.”
The two sides do have until July 15 to work out a long-term extension if they have a change of heart. But as of now, he is set to play on the tag. With voluntary workouts beginning on Monday, Pickens’ attendance will be a notable topic.
The Cowboys traded for Pickens last offseason in a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers that sent away a 2026 third-round pick. In one year with the team, Pickens led all Cowboys in the three major receiving categories by hauling in 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. His four-year rookie contract expired at the end of the season, and the Cowboys retained his rights by applying the franchise tag.
“We’re so fired up to have George on this football team,” Jones said. “Obviously, he’s been here for a year. We gave up a third-round pick for him, and certainly he’s made tremendous progress in the year he’s been here. I think he’d be the first to tell you this is a great situation for him, playing with CeeDee [Lamb] and Dak [Prescott] and in Coach [Brian] Schottenheimer’s offense. He loves Coach Schottenheimer and what he brings to the table, but [it’s] certainly a conscious decision that we’ve made.”
Team owner and general manager Jerry Jones and Schottenheimer informed Pickens of the news prior to Wednesday’s press conference, a meeting that Schottenheimer said was “a great conversation.”
Approaching the start of the draft on Thursday night, the Cowboys did not rule out the possibility of taking a receiver in the first round if an elite talent falls to their selection. Similar to the 2020 draft when the Cowboys were seeking out elite defensive talents, Lamb fell to their selection at No. 17 overall, and the choice was made to take the Oklahoma receiver. With Pickens and Lamb already in the building, that could muddy the outlook even more for Pickens’ future if the same happens on Thursday night.
“It would certainly be no different as we look at the board and our number gets called to pick, and we’ll make that decision at that point,” Jones said. “We’re certainly not opposed to taking the best player on our board. That’s usually where we’ve had our most success is doing that. We were all set to go defense in that particular [2020] draft and CeeDee Lamb was sitting there, and that’s the guy we went with. It’s turned out to be a great selection for us.”
