The Dallas Cowboys have ended any current and future negotiations with wide receiver George Pickens, who now seems poised to play out the 2026 season under the franchise tag. Speaking to reporters during a pre-draft press conference, Stephen Jones said the team will no longer consider extending Pickens to a long-term deal this offseason.
Stephen Jones said the #Cowboys have decided that George Pickens will play under the franchise tag in 2026 and there won’t be negotiations on a long-term deal this offseason.
— Tommy Yarrish (@tommy_yarrish) April 22, 2026
Dallas tagged Pickens in February to prevent him from reaching free agency. At the time, Jerry Jones expressed optimism and a goal of reaching a long-term deal with Pickens. One that would make him a Cowboy for years to come and reduce the burden of his $27.298 million franchise tag salary, all of which counts against the team’s 2026 cap.
“Make no mistake about it, we have long-term plans in mind,” Jones said at the time via ESPN.
Now, Dallas is singing a different tune. It’s unclear why the Cowboys have suddenly opted to stop any contract talks. It’s possible this is a leverage ploy to get Pickens’ potential asking price down. But taken at face value, Pickens will play out the year on the tag and enter 2027 as a pending free agent.
Pickens’ leverage will be to skip any and all offseason programs. Odds are high he won’t attend voluntary OTAs, and he may bypass the team’s mandatory minicamp. Until he signs his franchise tag, Pickens has no obligation to attend any team events, voluntary or mandatory.
Stephen Jones says Pickens has been asked to attend.
Stephen Jones added that George Pickens and his representation have been informed of the #Cowboys‘ decision to play him on the franchise tag in 2026. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer added that he will ask Pickens to be present for the first day of the offseason program, like he… https://t.co/bWmf8RRLoB
— Tommy Yarrish (@tommy_yarrish) April 22, 2026
Dallas traded for Pickens nearly one year ago, sending a 2026 third-round pick to Pittsburgh last May. Pickens had a career year, 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl and second team All-Pro selections, but his short temper still flared up.
July 15 is the NFL’s deadline for any player on a franchise tag to sign a contract extension. If no deal is reached by then, the player can’t sign a new deal until the following offseason.