The Dallas Cowboys are expected to apply the franchise tag to wide receiver George Pickens, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
This would lock Pickens in for a salary of around $28 million in 2026, while he and the team can negotiate a long-term extension.
The tag reflects how well the 24-year-old performed following his trade to Dallas last May. He set career highs across the board, catching 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns.
In the buildup to the Pro Bowl Games, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott made it clear he wants to see Pickens back.
“It doesn’t matter, whichever way that they got to do it, he’s an important piece of this offense, an important piece of what we’re trying to do,” Prescott told reporters. “I’ll leave it to those guys. Obviously if I need to get involved, I’ve said it before, I will. But (I’m) confident in (Cowboys owner Jerry Jones) and everybody who makes those decisions and how much he means to us.”
Jones also told Tommy Yarrish, who writes for the team’s official site, that he’s “looking forward to getting things worked out so George can be a Cowboy a long time.”
If recent history is any indicator, a resolution may not come quickly.
The Cowboys traded star pass-rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in August as the two sides were locked in a stalemate. A year earlier, that’s when Dallas finally had its breakthrough with wideout CeeDee Lamb. Prescott’s most recent deal came together right before the team’s opener in 2024.
Using the franchise tag on Pickens is a tangible indicator that Jones is serious about bringing him back. Now, it’s on ownership to pony up the dough for a multiyear deal.