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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens will reportedly sign his franchise tag, which will pay him $27.3 million fully guaranteed for the 2026 season, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
"George Pickens is signing his franchise tag, source say," Rapoport wrote on his X account. "#Cowboys WR George Pickens is now under contract for one year and $27.3M fully guaranteed. He'll play it out with the chance to cash in during the 2027 offseason."
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported that the move will allow Pickens to be traded, despite Cowboys leadership claiming he was in the team's long-term plans, but will also make him subject to fines if he doesn't show up to camp.
The Pittsburgh Steelers traded Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Cowboys in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick last May. The former University of Georgia standout is coming off a season in which he set career-highs for receptions (93), receiving yards (1,429) and touchdowns (9) in 2025.
The Cowboys reportedly informed Pickens' agent, David Mulugheta, that they wouldn't hold contract talks on a long-term deal with Pickens before the July 15 deadline.
"We're so fired up to have George on this football team," team owner Jerry Jones said during the Cowboys' pre-draft news conference on Wednesday (April 22) via ESPN. "Obviously, he's been here for a year. We gave up a third-round pick for him, and certainly he's made tremendous progress in the year he's been here. I think he'd be the first to tell you this is a great situation for him, playing with CeeDee [Lamb] and Dak and in Coach [Brian] Schottenheimer's offense. He loves Coach Schottenheimer and what he brings to the table. But certainly, a conscious decision that we've made."