Wide receiver George Pickens has put pen to paper on his franchise tag agreement with the Dallas Cowboys, securing a guaranteed $27.3 million payday for the 2026 season, the team announced Wednesday.
The 25-year-old pass-catcher is fresh off a breakout Pro Bowl campaign in 2025, his debut season in Dallas. Pickens hauled in 93 receptions from 137 targets, accumulating 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns across 17 games with 15 starts — marking personal records in every statistical category.
Cowboys management has made clear they have no plans to pursue a long-term contract with Pickens currently, and trading him is not under consideration. The receiver, who would have entered free agency without the tag, still has until the league’s July 15 deadline to negotiate an extended deal with Dallas if the organization reconsiders its position.
“We have no intention of moving George,” Cowboys chief operating officer and co-owner Stephen Jones stated during a press conference after the NFL draft’s opening day last week. “We’re fired up about him signing his (tag), because it means he’s ready to come in here and get to work. … We have zero intention of moving (him).”
The Cowboys applied the franchise designation to Pickens on February 27, marking the first time the organization had utilized the tag since 2022 when they tagged tight end Dalton Schultz.
Originally drafted by Pittsburgh in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft from the University of Georgia, Pickens spent his initial three professional seasons with the Steelers. Throughout his four-year career, he has accumulated 267 catches for 4,270 yards and 21 touchdowns across 65 games with 55 starts.
The Steelers dealt Pickens to Dallas on May 7, 2025, in a trade that also included a 2027 sixth-round selection in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick (which became the 76th overall selection used on quarterback Drew Allar) and a 2027 fifth-round choice.
