Cowboys lock in George Pickens with $27.3M franchise tag despite failing to reach long-term contract

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The Dallas Cowboys announced George Pickens has signed his franchise tag for the 2026 season.

Pickens has now guaranteed himself $27.3 million this season after his breakout first year with the Cowboys in 2025.

Though the Cowboys and Pickens couldn’t reach a long-term deal, Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones maintains the team has no intention of trading the 25-year-old receiver for the upcoming campaign.

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George Pickens of the Dallas Cowboys after his team’s 33-16 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas Nov. 17, 2025. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)

A report came out before the NFL Draft last week stating Pickens intended on signing the tag, though it wasn’t finalized until the announcement April 29.

It was widely thought that Dallas and Pickens would negotiate a long-term deal, especially with team owner Jerry Jones stating at the NFL’s annual meeting that the Cowboys had "long-term plans" for the Pro Bowler, per Yahoo Sports.

COWBOYS ANNOUNCE DECISION ON GEORGE PICKENS' CONTRACT STATUS AS HE SEEKS MAJOR DEAL

While the franchise tag could be viewed as a placeholder for a long-term deal to materialize at some point before the season, the Cowboys announced earlier this month they wouldn’t negotiate long-term deals with franchise-tagged players before the July 15 deadline.

Pickens, likely realizing the Cowboys’ stance, went with the $27.3 million guarantee.

The Cowboys’ move for Pickens last offseason in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers proved a success despite the team missing