Cowboys want to keep WR George Pickens beyond 2025, franchise tag a potential option

Pickens is in the final year of his rookie contract, and his performance essentially requires him to be among the highest-paid receivers in the NFL.

Pickens is second in the league in receiving yards with 908, en route to a career season. He has the most receiving yards by a Cowboy not named CeeDee Lamb since Amari Cooper totaled 1,114 yards in 2020 and, according to Next Gen Stats, Pickens leads the NFL with 12 receptions and 227 yards on narrow window targets.

The Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase currently leads the receiver market after signing a four-year, $161 million extension this offseason, while Lamb signed a four-year, $136 million contract in 2024.

Asked this week about his future, Pickens told reporters, “I would love to be back,” and quarterback Dak Prescott said, “I think it would be a priority in the offseason.” »

So far, no contract negotiations have taken place, according to sources.

If Pickens isn’t the top receiver in free agency next offseason, then he’s at least in the conversation for that title. Although the best option for Pickens would be to hit unfettered free agency, the most likely option, according to sources, is for the Cowboys franchise to tag him at an expected price of more than $28 million for one season. Dallas would then attempt to reach a long-term deal with Pickens.

Another option is to tag Pickens and try to trade him for future picks, and there is historical precedent for this. But it would be a backup option to sign him to a long-term deal in Dallas.

Further complicating matters is that the Cowboys currently have the least projected 2026 salary cap space in the league, according to Over The Cap, so retaining Pickens would require some financial maneuvering. Given this point, it is important to note that using the franchise tag would be more prohibitive than an extension.

Another factor is that David Mulugheta of Athletes First represents Pickens alongside agent Trevon Smith, and Mulugheta has traditionally strongly opposed the use of the franchise tag for his clients. Additionally, this is the same agent whose name owner Jerry Jones claimed he didn’t know during Micah Parsons’ contract negotiations last offseason, despite Mulugheta being one of the biggest names in agent circles. Team sources say it wouldn’t be a problem this time around, although using the tag wouldn’t be something the player or agent would applaud.