The Dallas Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Pro Bowl wide receiver George Pickens on Friday, according to the team's website.The tag, according to Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein, is a non-exclusive designationthat allows Pickens to negotiate a deal with other teams but puts the Cowboys in command of the negotiations considering the price tag required for a prospective team.
If a deal can't be reached by the July 15 deadline with the Cowboys, that locks in Pickens for next season on a one-year contract worth what is projected to be $28 million.
The decision is hardly a surprise, and one the Cowboys reportedly decided on doing earlier this month. Playing alongside All-Pro CeeDee Lamb, Pickens enjoyed the best season of his career in 2025 with 93 catches, 1,429 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns on 137 targets after being traded to Dallas from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
BothCowboys owner Jerry Jonesand his son,team COO Stephen Jones, have said they want Pickens back long term, with Jerry saying he expects a long-term extension to get done:
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"I'm talking to George all the time by virtue of my excitement for him," Jones said when asked if contract extension talks have begun with Pickens. "He's better than, as far as what he contributed to our team, showing the potential that he could contribute. I'm looking forward to getting things worked out so George can be a Cowboy a long time."
The franchise tag ensures that, however negotiations go, the Cowboys can plan for Pickens to be in the fold for the 2026 season if another team doesn't come with an aggressive offer that would also include draft pick compensation, per the non-exclusive tag rules.
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Hitting Pickens with the tag means the Cowboys could have the NFL's second-most expensive receiver duo next season between him and Lamb, who is currently on a four-year, $136 million deal. Combined with the average annual value of that contract, Dallas will be paying the pair $62 million, behind only the $69 million AAV currently going to the Cincinnati Bengals' Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Pickens is one of several notable Cowboys hitting free agency this offseason. Starters Jadeveon Clowney and Donovan Wilson are unrestricted free agents, while All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey is a restricted free agent and isseeking the richest kicker deal in NFL history. Running back Javonte Williams, who was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason,recently signed a three-year, $24 million contractto return to the team through the 2028 season.
Signing Pickens to an extension instead of the tag would have freed up a significant amount of money for this upcoming offseason, in addition to retaining a star at a premium position for years to come. But at least in the short term, the Cowboys will have Pickens for another year.
