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Todd Archer
FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys will do what has been expected on Friday, placing the franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens to secure his rights at least through 2026, sources told ESPN.
The franchise tag guarantees Pickens around $28 million in 2026 but working out a long-term deal remains a possibility.
The Cowboys met with Pickens’ representatives on Thursday at the NFL scouting combine. The talks were described as more general than in-depth.
Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round selection, all Pickens did was put up career highs in catches (93), yards (1,429) and touchdowns (nine) while playing every game and being named to the Pro Bowl for the first time and earning second-team All-Pro honors.
Pickens, 24, had five games with more than 100 yards receiving, including two that came when CeeDee Lamb was out of the lineup because of a high ankle sprain. Pickens set a franchise record with five games of at least 130 yards receiving and a touchdown catch.
His 13 catches of at least 25 yards and 73 first-down receptions ranked in the top five in the NFL.
He and Dak Prescott had an instant chemistry in their first season, much like Prescott developed with Lamb and former Pro Bowler Amari Cooper.
Keeping Pickens on a long-term deal could be dicey.
The Cowboys signed Lamb to an extension in 2024 that pays him $34 million annually and included $100 million in guaranteed money. While the Cowboys could match or even exceed Lamb’s numbers, they might be reluctant to do so for long-term cap issues and how they want to build their roster over the next few seasons.
