FRISCO, Texas — In what can only be described as the most predictable of moves, the Dallas Cowboys have opted to place the 2026 franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens, a move they hope will be nothing more than procedural.
It is a non-exclusive tag, meaning Pickens will be permitted to negotiate with other NFL teams but the Cowboys have the right to match any offer he’s made. Should they choose to not match an offer and Pickens leaves, the team acquiring him will be required to send Dallas two first-round picks as compensation.
Pickens becomes the first player tagged by the Cowboys since running back Tony Pollard received it in 2023, tight end Dalton Schultz receiving it in 2022 — Dak Prescott and DeMarcus Lawrence having both been tagged twice prior before deals were agreed to, and the second tag rescinded, not long thereafter.
“My relationship with GP doesn’t change,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said, speaking from the 2026 NFL Combine in Indianapolis. “Just like it didn’t change with CeeDee or Dak when those guys were going through certain things. It’s all part of the process. It’s the business side of it. … This is going to play out the way it’s supposed to play out. GP loves football.”
Unable to come to terms on a new contract early in the offseason, they’ll now have until mid-summer to accomplish that mission.
That is when they’ll face the league’s deadline for new contract extensions and, if no deal is done by that point, Pickens will be faced with playing the 2026 season under the fully guaranteed $27.3 million one-year salary.
Pickens had a breakout season in 2025, landed via blockbuster trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers following last year’s draft. With Prescott at the helm, Lamb on the field and a capable rushing attack through Javonte Williams, head coach and offensive playcaller Brian Schottenheimer helped orchestrate Pickens’ first-ever 1,400-yard season (1,429 yards) that also included a career-high nine touchdowns and the first Pro Bowl and All-Pro nod of his career.
It would behoove both sides to come to terms on a new deal, and for several reasons.
For Pickens, it would provide the security and stability he’s seeking going forward, cementing him as a staple in the Cowboys’ offense and keeping him in a locker room he loves — led by All-Pro quarterback Dak Prescott and All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb, who have both made it known they’ll do whatever they can to make sure he stays put in Dallas.
For the Cowboys, being able to rescind the franchise tag as soon as possible will remove the $28 million cap hit for 2026, giving them one of the best receivers in the league for the foreseeable future while also creating instant room for free agency acquisitions, particularly if any of those possible acquisitions are big-money talent.
Both the Cowboys and Pickens are now on the clock to determine what things look like contractually in 2026, and beyond.
