Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys await confirmation on the future of George Pickens with the team. Dallas has franchise tagged the wideout for the 2026 NFL campaign, but the product out of Georgia has yet to sign the tender. As long as he doesn’t put pen to paper, the suspense will only grow stronger in Arlington. However, reports suggest Pickens will keep his word.
“The expectation right now is still that [George Pickens] shows up and plays on the tag,” as reported on ESPN’s Get Up morning show.
Although Pickens has Jones and the Cowboys in limbo despite the reported verbal agreement between the organization and his agent, signs may point in the direction that the wideout will finally sign the $27. 3 million franchise tag tender. That might put an end to the drama ahead of the 2026 NFL season—though it’s not guaranteed.
Cowboys won’t entertain long-term contract talks
Jerry Jones has made the Cowboys‘ intentions clear. Dallas wants Pickens to play through the 2026 NFL season on the tag before it makes any decision on his long-term future. Whether that decision is made because of the wide receiver’s performance or the fact his agent is David Mulugheta, that’s another question.
George Pickens #3 of the Dallas Cowboys.
Pickens may accept those terms—likely with remorse and bitterness. Still, signing his franchise tag tender won’t cancel out the trade buzz around Pickens. If anything, it may only bolster it. Until he signs the tender, Pickens can’t be traded. The fact the Cowboys have added Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the depth chart may signal that a trade involving Pickens is a real possibility.
Ever since the 2026 NFL Draft weekend came to an end, most reports indicate the Cowboys aren’t interested in trading Pickens. However, actions tend to speak louder than words, and Dallas’ recent activity begs the question of whether there’s been a sudden change of heart regarding the former second-round selection (by the Pittsburgh Steelers) in 2022.
Pickens’ numbers
The former Steeler is coming off a career year in the 2025 NFL campaign. During his first season on America’s Team, Pickens recorded career highs in receptions (93), receiving yards (1,429), touchdowns (9), and first downs (73). Still, Jones and company have their doubts about extending a long-term contract offer to him and his camp, led by Mulugheta.
Things might have been much easier had Pickens been taken off the board at least 20 picks earlier in the 2022 NFL Draft. If he had been a first-round selection, “Dem Boyz” could have simply exercised the fifth-year option on Pickens back in 2025.
However, had Pickens been a first-rounder, his fate in Pittsburgh might have been quite different. He may never have been traded to Dallas in the first place. It’s all hypothetical.
Where Jones, Pickens, and the Cowboys stand
What’s factual is that Jones’ Cowboys and Pickens remain in a standoff. Neither is giving the other an inch. Reports suggest Pickens will play on the tag, but until he signs the tender, anything can happen. Well, actually, virtually nothing can happen.
Once he signs the tender, that’s when the options are truly limitless for Jones and company to work their magic. Perhaps the owner of the Cowboys has one more trick up his sleeve, just for old times’ sake.
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