The Dallas Cowboys using the franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens elicits one of the biggest questions of the offseason for fans.
Pickens stepped up for the Cowboys in 2025 with 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, and those kinds of numbers often lead to a bigger contract. Dallas has been locked in contract battles for years with top star players and lost one along the way last year in former star linebacker Micah Parsons.
The Cowboys locked down Pickens with the franchise tag instead of letting him walk in free agency. That said, it doesn’t look likely that Pickens and the Cowboys will reach a deal before the July 15 deadline to negotiate.
“There are a few reasons the Cowboys want to see Pickens do it again before deciding whether to commit long-term money to him,” ESPN insider Dan Graziano wrote. “They’re already paying wide receiver CeeDee Lamb an average of $34 million per year, and carrying two of the highest-paid receivers in the league would be a salary cap challenge.”
“Another reason, as team president Stephen Jones said a few weeks ago, is that Pickens is still new to Dallas,” Graziano added. “He doesn’t have as much in the bank with them as he would if it had been the team that drafted and developed him.”
Dallas acquired Pickens in a 2025 trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers and gave up a third-round draft pick in the process.
Insider Forecasts How George Pickens Could Land a Deal
Dallas is settling on paying Pickens $27.298 million on the franchise tag this year, and Graziano detailed why it makes sense and how Pickens could find a big contract in 2027.
“If Pickens has another big year and Lamb struggles with his health again, maybe the Cowboys feel differently about both players a year from now,” Graziano wrote. “But they’ve decided the franchise tag is the right way to go with Pickens in 2026.”
Lamb played in 14 games last season with 75 receptions for 1,077 yards and three touchdowns. He dealt with a high ankle sprain and concussion during the 2025 season.
Consequently, Pickens became the team’s leading receiver as he played in all 17 games. Originally a second-round draft pick by the Steelers in 2022, the former Georgia star has played in 17 games for three of his four seasons in the league.
Pickens has 267 receptions for 4,270 yards and 21 touchdowns in 65 career games. He also has playoff experience in two postseason trips with the Steelers, and he has 10 catches for 87 yards and a touchdown in two contests.
George Pickens Gives the Cowboys Big Continuity on Offense
As much as the Cowboys’ defense struggled in 2025, the Cowboys offense showed a lot of promise as the seventh-best scoring team in the league with 27.7 points per game.
Pickens played a major role with a dangerous trio of offensive skills players. While Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott enjoyed a lot of productivity from Pickens and Lamb, running back Javonte Williams took a big load off of the passing game.
Williams rushed for 1,2011 yards and 11 touchdowns on 252 carries, and he caught 35 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns. The Cowboys have all three 1,000-yard stars back, and that bodes well for Prescott and company.
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