Feb. 24, 2026, 2:09 p.m. CT

The idea of building around Tyler Shough has sent some New Orleans Saints fans into a frenzy, daydreaming about pairing their young quarterback with an exciting weapon like Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens, Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts, or maybe more realistically, New York Jets running back Breece Hall. But it isn’t happening. All three of the top players at the skills positions are expected to be tagged before free agency begins in just a few weeks.

On Tuesday, Jets general manager Darren Mougey told reporters that the team plans for Hall to stay in New York in 2026, whether that means extending his contract or issuing a tag to keep him off the market. The franchise tag (estimated at $14.5 million) would require a new team to trade two first-round picks for Hall. While no compensation goes out for the transition tag (costing $11.5 million), it does give the Jets the ability to match any offers Hall receives. Either way, he won’t be an option for New Orleans.

That’s true of Pickens and Pitts, too. Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones said this week that they’ll use the franchise tag to keep Pickens in Dallas, where he posted career-highs in every receiving category in 2025. It’s unlikely the Saints would have made a run at Pickens had he reached the open market (they’ve still got to pay Chris Olave). But that’s one less option for teams they’ll be competing against to invest in. Dollars that might have been earmarked for Pickens can instead go towards bidding against New Orleans for a new left guard or some other position of need.

What about Pitts, who is also receiving the franchise tag? You wouldn’t think the Saints are looking to spend big on tight end after bringing Juwan Johnson back on a $30.75 million contract last offseason, but maybe they make an exception for an exceptional player. Pitts has more experience lining up tight to the formation than Johnson with an edge in every receiving category but touchdowns (21 to 15), and having played in six fewer games. If New Orleans does want to add another tight end the pool of free agents just got thinner.

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