George Pickens stays on tag as Cowboys extension window closes
ESPN reported the Cowboys wide receiver will play 2026 on a $27.3 million franchise tag after no long-term deal was reached.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
2 min read
George Pickens is headed into the 2026 season with his contract number set: $27.3 million.
The Dallas Cowboys wide receiver will play on the franchise tag after Wednesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline for long-term deals passed without an agreement, according to ESPN. CBS Sports reported that Pickens has signed the franchise tender, putting him under contract for the coming season.
The outcome was no surprise around Dallas. CBS Sports reported that the Cowboys said during April’s NFL Draft that they did not plan to work on a long-term contract with Pickens.
Pickens had already signaled he was ready
Pickens, 25, said last month after the first day of mandatory minicamp that he was prepared to play under the tag, according to ESPN.
“Like the tag and all that, it's just football first,” Pickens said, according to ESPN. “So, definitely play football first, kind of like I did last year, and then worry about [the contract] ... Well, let my agent worry about it, really.”
The franchise tag keeps Pickens with the Cowboys for 2026 at the set salary, rather than on a new multi-year pact. With the deadline gone, the big extension question shifts out of the immediate spotlight while Dallas moves toward the season.
A big year before the tag
Pickens arrived in Dallas from the Pittsburgh Steelers before the 2025 season, CBS Sports reported. His first year with the Cowboys turned into the most productive season of his NFL career.
He set career highs with 93 catches, 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns last season, according to CBS Sports. That production made his contract status one of the notable Cowboys storylines before training camp.
Dallas now has its star wideout signed for the year, even without the longer deal that can define a player’s future with a franchise. Pickens’ own public stance, as reported by ESPN, had been to put football first and leave the contract work to his agent.
The Cowboys open their season Sept. 13 against the New York Giants in a divisional matchup, according to CBS Sports. Pickens is set to enter that game on the tag, with the long-term conversation waiting for another day.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.