FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys leadership announced Wednesday they will not pursue contract negotiations with star wide receiver George Pickens, opting instead to have him compete under the franchise tag designation for the upcoming season.
The 25-year-old receiver has yet to sign the franchise tender valued at $27.3 million, meaning he could skip mandatory minicamp in June without facing financial consequences. The team’s offseason activities begin Monday on a voluntary basis.
“We’ve made a decision that we’re going to have George play under the franchise tag, which won’t be a first for us,” said Stephen Jones, the team’s executive vice president of personnel. “So there won’t be negotiations on a long-term deal. But that’s certainly not a first for this organization and certainly won’t be a first in the league in terms of this decision as we move forward.”
While Stephen Jones indicated he hasn’t spoken with Pickens lately, team owner Jerry Jones and head coach Brian Schottenheimer recently held discussions with the receiver.
“It was good,” Schottenheimer commented during the Cowboys’ pre-draft media session ahead of Thursday evening’s NFL draft. “The thing that George knows about Jerry and myself is we’re very upfront and we’re honest. We had great conversation. We informed him. We think that’s important because that’s the way we handle all of our players and coaches.”
Pickens’ representative, David Mulugheta, has not yet responded to media inquiries regarding the situation.
Following his trade from Pittsburgh during the previous offseason, Pickens achieved personal bests with 93 receptions, 1,429 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns while contributing to one of the NFL’s most productive offensive units. However, Dallas struggled defensively and posted a 7-9-1 record, extending their playoff absence to two consecutive seasons.
The Georgia product, selected in the second round of the 2022 draft, formed an effective partnership with CeeDee Lamb, who is entering his second season of a four-year, $136 million extension that places him among the league’s highest-paid receivers at $34 million annually.
Lamb staged a holdout throughout the 2024 offseason and training camp before finalizing his contract approximately two weeks prior to the season opener.
Dallas was unable to apply the franchise tag to Lamb due to his rookie contract structure. First-round selections include a fifth-year team option, while second-round picks like Pickens complete four-year agreements. Pickens earned $6.8 million during his initial NFL contract.
During his Pittsburgh tenure, Pickens demonstrated exceptional ability but also displayed concerning behavioral patterns that prompted former coach Mike Tomlin to question his professional maturity.
Although Schottenheimer avoided public criticism of Pickens during his inaugural head coaching campaign after 25 years as an assistant, both Pickens and Lamb were disciplined with a first-series benching in Las Vegas after violating team curfew following a casino visit.
“There’s a lot of things that go into that,” Stephen Jones explained regarding the decision to avoid long-term negotiations this offseason. “Let’s start with the fact that it’s not easy having two receivers being paid top of the market. A quarterback that’s been here, being the highest-paid player in this league for many years now.”
“The other thing is the newness of George being here,” Stephen Jones continued. “I think George has just done an amazing job. I mean he’s exceeded all expectations. And a lot of those things, they make their way toward a long-term deal, but that’s the biggest part of it — between the business and newness of it, I think that’s a big part of it.”
