Cowboys place George Pickens on $27.3 million franchise tag for 2026 season

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens will play the 2026 season on his $27.3 million franchise tender after the deadline for tagged players to agree to long-term contracts passed at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday. The Cowboys announced before the April draft that they would not hold extension talks with Pickens.

He signed the tender and said last month he was prepared to play the season under the tag. "Like the tag and all that, it's just football first," Pickens said after the first day of mandatory minicamp. "So, definitely play football first, kind of like I did last year, and then worry about [the contract] ...

Pickens was one of four players to receive the franchise tag in 2026. The other three reached long-term deals before the deadline: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones signed a two-year, $88 million contract in March, New York Jets running back Breece Hall signed a three-year, $43.5 million contract in May, and Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr.

The Cowboys last signed a first-time tagged player to an extension in 2015 with wide receiver Dez Bryant. Since then, quarterback Dak Prescott and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence reached deals only after a second tag, while tight end Dalton Schultz and running back Tony Pollard left via free agency after one season under the tag.

The team acquired Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick from the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025 for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick.

He recorded career highs of 93 catches, 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns that season.