FRISCO, Texas – The deadline has now passed for franchise-tagged WR George Pickens to sign a multi-year extension with the Dallas Cowboys in 2026.
Pickens, who signed his non-exclusive franchise tag in late April, is now locked into a one-year, $27.3 million fully guaranteed deal for his second season with the Cowboys.
His contract cannot be extended until after Dallas' final regular season game against the Commanders in January of 2027.
Pickens is one of four players to have had a tag placed on them this offseason. The Colts placed the transition tag on QB Daniel Jones, and the franchise tag was used on Jets RB Breece Hall and Falcons TE Kyle Pitts. Both Hall and Pitts signed long-term deal with their respective teams, leaving Pickens as the only franchise-tagged player to not receive an extension this offseason.
After missing the voluntary portions of the Cowboys' offseason program, Pickens reported to the team's mandatory minicamp from June 16-18. Following his first practice back, Pickens said he does not plan to hold out during training camp or the regular season.
"What's important to me is winning," Pickens said. "Like I said from the beginning, I always want to bring a Super Bowl to a group of guys that never had that feeling. That's really the most important part to me."
A week before Pickens signed his franchise tag, Cowboys COO/co-owner Stephen Jones said that the team had decided not to negotiate a long-term deal with Pickens this offseason. Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones and head coach Brian Schottenheimer delivered the news to Pickens, while Jerry and Stephen Jones had a 5–10-minute phone call with Pickens' agent, David Mulugheta, to notify him as well. Stephen Jones also clarified that Dallas has "no plans" to trade Pickens.
The conversation that Jerry Jones and Schottenheimer had with Pickens was "super important" to the Pro Bowl wide receiver.
"Just definitely as a person, as anybody, I would want you to tell your kids, your friends exactly what you're going to do." Pickens said.
He later added that he did not ask Jones why he and the team had decided to not engage in long-term negotiations, saying that it's "really his decision."
At the NFL's annual owners' meetings in late March, Jerry Jones said that the Cowboys had plans for Pickens beyond just the 2026 season.
"It should play itself out is the best way for me to say it," Jones said. "Make no mistake about it, we have long-term plans in mind for Pickens."
If those long-term talks do occur, they will have to come in 2027. The Cowboys do have the option to place the franchise tag on Pickens again next offseason, which would be another one-year deal worth 120% of his current tag, amounting to approximately $32.8 million.
Placing the tag on a player twice is something that Dallas has done in recent years. Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence was tagged in 2018 and 2019, and most recently quarterback Dak Prescott was tagged in 2020 and 2021.
For now though, Pickens plans to play on the franchise tag in 2026 and believes that he'll continue to prove to himself, and everyone else, that he's worth a big deal in the future.
"Last year, I already knew what I could do," Pickens said. I just feel like on this stage, it proved to a lot of other people. That's kind of also the contract talks and all that, people kind of feel what I've proven to them. I've just been doing my best."
