Since even before the 2025 regular season wrapped up, reports indicated that the Dallas Cowboys were planning to retain the rights to wide receiver George Pickens via the franchise tag at some point after teams can begin using their tags on Tuesday.
For a piece published on Monday, Todd Archer of ESPN suggested that the Cowboys have made a final decision regarding Pickens’ short-term future.
How may George Pickens react to being franchise tagged?
Archer wrote that “it is a certainty that” the Cowboys will use the franchise tag, which is set to be worth around $28M-$29M, on Pickens before the deadline to do so arrives at 4 p.m. ET on March 3. Previously, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said he believed that Dallas tagging Pickens wouldn’t impact the 24-year-old “more at all than any other player.” It sounds like Pickens will not be thrilled about being tagged.
“If Pickens signs the tender right away, he is guaranteed to make at least $28M in 2026,” Archer shared. “But it is not likely he signs the tender immediately and gives up even his tiny bit of leverage on a long-term deal. The Cowboys have used the NFL scouting combine as the jumping-off point in most negotiations, so they will likely meet with Pickens’ agents, Trevon Smith and David Mulugheta, on Jones’ luxury bus in Indianapolis.”
Last offseason, Jones declined
to negotiate with Mulugheta during a lengthy contract saga involving star pass-rusher Micah Parsons. In late August, Jones traded Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for two first-round draft picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Earlier in February, it was reported that “a tag-and-trade scenario is considered a possibility” for Pickens.
Why Cowboys may want to keep, trade George Pickens
According to ESPN stats, Pickens finished his first season with the Cowboys ranked eighth in the NFL with 93 receptions, third with 1,429 receiving yards and tied for eighth with nine touchdown catches. He previously caused the Pittsburgh Steelers headaches while with them from 2022 through the 2024 campaign, but Archer mentioned that “the questions about [Pickens] in Pittsburgh — maturity, timeliness — weren’t as much of a problem for the Cowboys.”
That said, Pickens was benched
for an offensive series after he allegedly missed the team bus and was accused of running lazy routes during at least one Dallas loss. Archer added that “multiple sources said Pickens was fined” during this past season for “being late to things.” One wonders if concerns related to such actions will keep Jones from paying Pickens more than the value of the franchise tag this year.
