Cowboys Franchise Tag Pickens, Keep Draft Options Open

0:00It's April 23rd. This is NFL News Today, your AI-powered source for everything NFL. Dallas Cowboys just shut down long-term contract talks with wide receiver George Pickens. They're sticking him on the franchise tag for the 2026 season at $27,300,000. Team exec Stephen Jones told Pickens his agent last week no extension before the July 15th deadline. This move echoes how they've handled tagged players before. Last time they locked one up long-term was Des Bryant back in 2015. Since then, guys like Dak Prescott and DeMarcus Lawrence played a year on the tag before Bigger Deals, while others like Dalton Schulte and Tony, Pollard bounced in free agency. Cowboys brass seized this as smart, dodging the drama they had with Michael Parsons last year. That verbal deal went south, leading to a preseason trade of their star. Tots with Pickens' camp, stayed chill, Jerry and Stephen Jones on the call, everyone's cool for now.

1:00Heading into the 2026 NFL draft, trades are on the table big time. Jerry Jones says their field in calls open to swapping picks or players before, during, or after. With extra first rounders, they've got flexibility to move up or back without forcing in. Bottom line, Cowboys playing it safe with Pickens while keeping draft options wide open. Watch how the board falls Thursday night could shake up their whole offseason flow.