Cowboys Franchise Tag Pickens, Keep Options Open

0:00On April 22nd, the Dallas Cowboys just shut down long-term contract talks with wide receiver George Pickens. At their pre-draft press conference this week, executive vice president Stephen Jones made it clear Pickens will play the 2026 season. Under the franchise tag, no negotiations ahead. They've been down this road before, tagging stars like Dak Prescott twice, to Marcus Lawrence and Tony Pollard. The Cowboys traded the third round pick for Pickens last year, and he's already stepped up big in their office alongside CDLAM and Dak. Paying two elite receivers at top dollar gets tough when you've got a quarterback like Dak, topping the league salary charts. Plus, Pickens is still pretty new to the squad, even if he's blown past expectations. Jones confirmed Pickens and his agent already know the deal, though he skipped details on their vibe. No guarantees either that Pickens shows for the offseason program. It's all up to him and his camp now. Bottom line, the Cowboys love what Pickens brings but they're playing it safe from the

1:01business side, keeping options open as they build around there.