SAN FRANCISCO — When it came to reputation vs. reality, Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens exceeded every hope last year.
He set career highs from an on-field perspective in every major category, finishing the year as the third-leading receiver in the league. From an off-the-field standpoint, Pickens was, at the least, manageable. The only noticeable infraction he had was when he and fellow wide receiver CeeDee Lamb missed the opening series of the Nov. 17 game against the Las Vegas Raiders after they stayed out too late the night before.
Now Pickens is an unrestricted free agent, with a market that should make him one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL if he gets there.
But will he?
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In all likelihood, Pickens will be with the Cowboys again next season. The Cowboys, from owner Jerry Jones to head coach Brian Schottenheimer, have indicated they would like Pickens back. And if they can’t come to an early extension deal with Pickens, there’s a belief the Cowboys could use the franchise tag to prolong negotiations and keep his rights exclusive to Dallas.
Pickens, when asked about a potential franchise tag, said he wouldn’t know how to feel about it.
“It would be my first time. I wouldn’t really know how to react,” Pickens said from the Pro Bowl on Monday. ”I would want to just be with the guys … all I can say is I hope for the best. I can’t really control the uncontrollables.”
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The Cowboys control that option. Jerry Jones, speaking to a small group of local reporters on Thursday, was asked by The Dallas Morning News if he worries about how the franchise tag would affect Pickens.
Jones was adamant in his response.
“Not any more at all than any other player,” Jones said. “No. In fact, my emphasis on feeling good about him off the field, or any of those issues, has to do with me not differentiating him from any of the top player. Obviously, if you franchise somebody, they’re not getting exactly where they want to be. That’s the way that works. Would I be more concerned with him that I would be anybody? The answer is not at all. To me, that’s what we’ve seen and what he’s shown.
“There’s nothing fragile. I’ve heard things that would imply: make me think of the word fragile. There’s nothing fragile about him.”
As Jones alluded, the franchise tag is an option that restricts a player’s market to one team.
NFC wide receiver George Pickens (3), of the Dallas Cowboys, catches a pass next to AFC safety Calen Bullock (2), of the Houston Texans, for a two-point conversion during the second half of the NFL Pro Bowl football game, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Jeff Chiu / AP
Pickens, according to Spotrac, has a market value for an annual contract that exceeds $30 million per year. The projected franchise tag number for wide receivers is a one-year deal valued at over $28 million, according to Over The Cap. Teams can place the franchise tag on players between Feb. 17 and March 3. Pickens would then have until July 15 to sign an extension, otherwise he would be limited to a one-year deal with the Cowboys.
The Cowboys haven’t used the franchise tag since 2023 when they placed it on running back Tony Pollard, who left the following season in free agency. Before that they used it on tight end Dalton Schultz, quarterback Dak Prescott and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. Both Prescott and Lawrence were tagged twice before they signed long-term extensions with the Cowboys.
Jones believes placing the franchise tag on Pickens wouldn’t affect him more than any other potential player. That belief is rooted in what they saw from Pickens this season in terms of his love for the game — something that Schottenheimer, Prescott and others have talked about throughout the year. Pickens himself said earlier this week that he was enjoying his first Pro Bowl in San Francisco, even though the event isn’t exactly what it used to be. Pickens then went out and won the offensive MVP of the Pro Bowl flag football game after having multiple spectacular catches.
“That’s the thing that was so beyond expectations: his commitment to how he loves football and enjoys being around his teammates,” Jones said in San Francisco on Thursday. “How he really enjoys being coached.”
The Cowboys have yet to talk with Pickens’ representation, multiple people familiar with the situation told The News. The last prominent negotiation they had with a star player resulted in trading Micah Parsons a week before last season started. Coincidentally, Pickens is represented by Athletes First, the same agency that represents Parsons.
It remains to be seen whether a franchise tag would be necessary at all, let alone inevitable. In turn, how that could shape negotiations with a receiver that proved to be one of the best in the NFL last year also remains to be seen.
If it happens, however, Jones is not worried about the repercussions on Pickens.
Twitter/X: @JoeJHoyt
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