The Cowboys are expected to place the franchise tag on receiver George Pickens as the sides try to work out a long-term deal, a person with knowledge of the club’s thinking told The Dallas Morning News on Saturday.
The Cowboys have not yet spoken to Pickens’ representatives about a new contract or about placing the franchise tag on him, another person with knowledge of the process told The News.
Pickens’ reps normally speak with teams at the NFL Scouting Combine in late February about such measures, and that should again be the case.
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.
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Such a move would not be a surprise. The Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones have indicated they would like Pickens back. Dallas could use the franchise tag to prolong contract negotiations while keeping his rights exclusive to Dallas.
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.
“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.”
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The projected franchise tag number for wide receivers is a one-year deal valued at over $28 million, according to Over The Cap. Pickens, according to Spotrac, has a market value for an annual contract that exceeds $30 million per year after posting a career season in his first and only year in 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.”
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.
Dallas Cowboys insider Joseph Hoyt contributed to this report.
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