Cowboys lock in George Pickens on $27.3M franchise tag despite failing to reach long-term contract

The Dallas Cowboys announced George Pickens has signed his franchise tag for the 2026 season.

Pickens has now guaranteed himself $27.3 million this season following his breakout first year with the Cowboys in 2025.

Though the Cowboys and Pickens couldn’t reach a long-term deal, Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones maintains the team has no intention to trade the 25-year-old receiver for the upcoming campaign.

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A report came out before the NFL Draft last week stating Pickens intended on signing the tag, though it wasn’t complete until the announcement on April 29.

It was widely thought that Dallas and Pickens would get a long-term deal together, especially with team owner Jerry Jones stating at the NFL’s annual meeting that the Cowboys has "long-term plans" for the Pro Bowler, per Yahoo Sports.

COWBOYS ANNOUNCE DECISION ON GEORGE PICKENS' CONTRACT STATUS AS HE SEEKS MAJOR DEAL

While the franchise tag could be viewed as a placeholder for a long-term deal to materialize at some point before the season, the Cowboys announced earlier this month they wouldn’t negotiate long-term deals with franchise-tagged players before the July 15 deadline.

Pickens, likely realizing the Cowboys’ stance, went with the $27.3 million guarantee.

The Cowboys’ move for Pickens last offseason in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers proved a success despite the team missing the playoffs in head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s first year at the helm.

Pickens was a second-team All-Pro, hauling in 93 receptions from quarterback Dak Prescott for 1,429 yards with nine touchdowns across 17 games.

It was clear the Cowboys’ pass attack was one of the most lethal in the NFL, as Pickens worked alongside CeeDee Lamb, tight end Jake Ferguson and other weapons that stood out, including Ryan Flournoy, who had a breakout season.

Lamb was also paid this past year, as the Cowboys agreed to his ask of being one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL. Lamb signed a four-year deal worth $136 million, which makes him the fourth highest-paid receiver in the league now.

Seattle Seahawks star Jaxon Smith-Njigba reset the highest-paid receiver in NFL history record with a $168.8 million deal with $120 million guaranteed after his Super Bowl-winning campaign that saw the 24-year-old win Offensive Player of the Year.

The Cowboys know how great Pickens and Lamb are together, but shelling out money for two top-market receivers isn’t the easiest on the books. With the franchise tag, Pickens is the 15th highest-paid receiver in the NFL at the start of the 2026 season.

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