Emmitt Smith Advises Pickens: Sign Tag, Ball Out

0:00On April 8, Dallas Cowboys slapped the non-exclusive franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens back in February. That means they have until July 15th to hammer out a long-term deal, or he plays the 2026 season on a one-year contract worth. $27,298,000. Pickens, a 25-year-old Pro Bowl star, just wrapped his best NFL year after a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers. He racked up 93 catches for a 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, earning second team all pro honors too. Cowboys legend Emmett Smith jumped in with advice during a chat with the Dallas Morning News. The Hall of Fame running back urged Pickens to sign the tag, show up motivated, and ball out for another big season, instead of holding out. This marks the third straight year the Cowboys are knee-deep in contract drama. Last year they locked up Dak Prescott and CD-Lam to market-topping extensions, while the season before that, linebacker Micah Parsons got traded.

1:00To Green Bay, after Talk Stalled, team owner Jerry Jones mentioned long-term plans for Pickens last month, but no fresh updates on beating the deadline. Smith keeps his simple, take the bag, hit camp, and let the performance talk next time around.