George Pickens had a career year in 2025 — his first with the Dallas Cowboys.
The star wide receiver caught 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns — all career highs — while establishing himself as a legitimate top-10 WR in the NFL, ranking third in receiving yards, fourth in yards per game (84.1), sixth in yards per reception (15.7), and eighth in receptions and touchdowns.
That kind of performance will come with a sizable raise, as Pickens is expected to become one of the highest-paid wideouts in the league.
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The problem is, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has been very quiet about whether or not he’ll sign Pickens to a long-term extension — a move he likely has to think long and hard about after locking fellow star WR CeeDee Lamb to a four-year, $136 million contract just last year.
However, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Cowboys have already taken a major first step in deciding Pickens’ future with the team.
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“The Dallas Cowboys are expected to place their franchise tag on Pro Bowl wide receiver George Pickens,” Schefter reported on Saturday night. “… But the Cowboys want to lock in Pickens for at least next season and, as owner Jerry Jones told the team’s website, for ‘a long time.’
“The Cowboys will be able to apply the franchise tag to Pickens anytime between Feb. 17 and March 3, but the tag undoubtedly is coming, if for no other reason than to serve as a placeholder for the start of negotiations designed to keep him in Dallas.”
If Dallas does slap Pickens with the franchise tag, it will lock them both into a one-year, fully guaranteed $28 million deal in 2026.
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With it out there that the franchise tag is coming, Pickens might be incentivized to take a lower contract amount for the sake of locking up a long-term deal as opposed to not knowing what’s coming after the 2026 season.
Jones has even said hashing out a multi-year deal for Pickens is at the top of his to-do list.
“I’m talking to George all the time by virtue of my excitement for him,” Jones told the team’s official website. “He’s better than, as far as what he contributed to our team, showing the potential that he could contribute. I’m looking forward to getting things worked out so George can be a Cowboy a long time.”
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