Cowboys plan for George Pickens to play on franchise tag in 2026 without long-term deal

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys will have George Pickens play on the franchise tag in 2026 and will not negotiate a long-term contract with him this offseason. Team leaders made the decision and are preparing for him to play under the one-year tag.

Pickens has not signed the one-year offer worth $27.3 million. Because the tag remains unsigned, he would not face any financial penalties if he skipped mandatory minicamp in June. The rest of the offseason program, which starts Monday, is voluntary.

“We’ve made a decision that we’re going to have George play under the franchise tag, which won’t be a first for us,” said Stephen Jones, Dallas Cowboys co-owner and CEO. “So there won’t be negotiations on a long-term deal. But that’s certainly not a first for this organization and certainly won’t be a first in the league in terms of this decision as we move forward.”

Jones said he has not talked to Pickens recently. He added that owner Jerry Jones and coach Brian Schottenheimer met with the receiver. “It was good,” Schottenheimer said during the Cowboys’ news conference leading into the NFL draft. “The thing that George knows about Jerry and myself is we’re very upfront and we’re honest. We had great conversation. We informed him. We think that’s important because that’s the way we handle all of our players and coaches.”

David Mulugheta, Pickens’ agent, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Pickens, who was acquired in a trade with Pittsburgh last offseason, set career highs with 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. He played alongside CeeDee Lamb, who is in the second year of a $136 million, four-year deal. The Cowboys finished 7-9-1 last season after one of the NFL’s worst defenses cost them a playoff spot.

Stephen Jones cited several factors behind the decision not to pursue a long-term deal right now. “There’s a lot of things that go into that,” Stephen Jones said of the decision not to go forward on a long-term deal this offseason. “Let’s start with the fact that it’s not easy having two receivers being paid top of the market. A quarterback that’s been here, being the highest-paid player in this league for many years now.”

“The other thing is the newness of George being here,” Stephen Jones said. “I think George has just done an amazing job. I mean he’s exceeded all expectations. And a lot of those things, they make their way toward a long-term deal, but that’s the biggest part of it — between the business and newness of it, I think that’s a big part of it.”

There is a July 15 deadline for the Cowboys and Pickens to reach a long-term agreement. If no deal is signed, Pickens could stay away well into the season while still on the franchise tag. The Cowboys have used the tag before; Dak Prescott and DeMarcus Lawrence played under the tag before later signing long-term deals. Other players, like Dalton Schultz and Tony Pollard, played on the tag and then left in free agency.

The club also remains mindful of past negotiation fights. The team dealt with contentious talks with Micah Parsons a year ago that ended with his trade to Green Bay. Mulugheta was Parsons’ agent as well.

Schottenheimer sounded optimistic about Pickens’ future with the team. “I expect that he’ll be around. I really do,” Schottenheimer said. “The one thing that I love about George is George likes honesty and that’s who we are. That’s not just because his name is George Pickens and he’s a great player. We do that to undrafted free agents, and that gives you the best chance to make sure you’re all on the same page.”