FRISCO, Texas — If George Pickens takes the field for the ĂŰĚŇTV in 2026, as is expected by the organization, he will do so under the franchise tag that was applied to him earlier in the offseason.
The team's front office, speaking during the annual pre-draft press conference on Wednesday, made it clear they've halted contract negotiations with the Pro Bowl receiver and are comfortable with Pickens playing under the tag this coming season — notifying his agent one week ago.
"It went really well — super cordial," said executive vice president and director of player personnel Stephen Jones.
"We've made a decision that we're gonna have George play under the franchise tag, which won't be a first for us," Jones said. "There won't be negotiations on a long-term deal. That's certainly not a a first for this organization and won't be a first in the league, in terms of this decision as we move forward. So whether it's Dak Prescott, who played under one and then got tagged a second time, whether that's DeMarcus Lawrence or whether it's Tony Pollard, we've had those situations."
He then went on to reiterate the Cowboys' love of having Pickens in the building.
"We're so fired up to have George on this football team," Jones added. "He's been here for a year, and we gave up a third-round pick for him and he's made tremendous progress in the year he's been here. He'll be the first to tell you this is a great situation for him — playing with CeeDee [Lamb] and Dak, and in Schottenheimer's offense. He loves Coach Schottenheimer and what he brings to the table. But this is the conscious decision we've made."
The sentiment was echoed by head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who wanted to hammer home the feeling for Pickens inside the building, and particularly as voluntary OTAs and mandatory minicamp approach.
"We're thrilled that George is here and we expect him to have another big year, like he did last year, and that's not gonna change," he said.
The club mulled the decision for weeks before coming to terms with it and subsequently notifying Pickens and his representation, and Jones laid out two key reasons as to why Pickens will not be awarded a multi-year deal just yet — the operative words being "just yet".
"It's not easy having two receivers paid at the top of the market," he said. "That's a stretch, especially when you have other great players on your team. … That's part of it. The other thing is the newness of George being here. He's done an amazing job and exceeded expectations. … A lot of these things make their way toward a long-term deal."
Pickens was acquired by the Cowboys from the Pittsburgh Steelers last offseason, in exchange for a third-round pick, before going on to have a breakout year that exceeded 1,400 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns — career-high totals in both categories — en route to his first-ever Pro Bowl nod in the NFL.
As he continues to work out with Prescott this offseason and other teammates like Lamb, the future beyond 2026 is now in question, the onus being on Pickens to repeat what he did in 2025, as the Cowboys remain open to revisiting long-term talks one year from now.
