The Dallas Cowboys are set to have another expensive offseason. They’re already stuck in contract negotiations with one star who wants to be the highest-paid at his position. Another superstar coming off a career year could be set for a contract standoff too.
The Cowboys have already placed the franchise tag on second-team All-Pro wide receiver George Pickens. The tag for receivers pays Pickens $27 million, which is well below the $40 million market rate for superstar receivers. Pickens ranked third in the NFL with 1,429 receiving yards this season, and he’ll still be just 25 when the 2026 season starts.
Players typically want to avoid the franchise tag, and that could be the case with Pickens too. After all, a long-term contract at a higher rate would offer more long-term financial security than a one-year deal below market value.
However, placing the franchise tag may not be the last we hear from the Cowboys on the Pickens situation this offseason.
According to Essentially Sports’ NFL insider Tony Pauline, the Cowboys could even trade Pickens now that they’ve franchise-tagged him.
“New reports from the combine suggest that the Cowboys could put the franchise tag on Pickens, then trade him. Pickens was officially franchise-tagged on Friday afternoon, and the team will pay him $27.3 million for the 2026 season. However, his long-term future with the team still remains undecided, and a trade possibility still exists before the team hits the July 15 deadline.”
Tony Pauline on George Pickens
The Packers used this mindset, tagging and trading Davante Adams to the Raiders in 2022. Though, the Cowboys have shown no indication of Pickens being available this offseason. Of course, that’s a great way to create leverage, but Pickens appears set to remain in Dallas, at least for 2026.
Perhaps the Cowboys can make these silly rumors go away by getting their new superstar receiver under contract for more than just the 2026 season, where he and CeeDee Lamb would form one of the NFL’s best receiver tandems for years to come.
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