Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens put pen to paper on Thursday.
Just hours before the 2026 NFL Draft, Pickens signed his franchise tag, meaning he will make $27.3 million guaranteed in the 2026 season and hit free agency next year.
#Cowboys WR George Pickens is now under contract for one year and $27.3M fully guaranteed. He'll play it out with the chance to cash in during the 2027 offseason. https://t.co/Czb4r9wTvz
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 23, 2026
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported earlier on Thursday that Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones reached out to Pickens’ agent, David Mulugheta, to discuss the future of the wide receiver.
It was reported on Wednesday that the Cowboys would give Pickens the franchise tag without negotiating a long-term extension this season, although questions remained whether Pickens would be open to it or not.
However, it seems Pickens is on board as he put pen to paper for the tag and is now under contract for the 2026 season.
The caveat to this is that now Pickens technically could be traded at any time since he signed the tag, although it remains to be seen if there are any suitors for the wide receiver during the NFL Draft.
It was reported in February that Pickens wouldn’t play on the franchise tag, so things have certainly changed a bit in the past couple of months.
For now, George Pickens is a member of the Cowboys, and he could sign a long-term deal with the franchise at the end of the 2026 campaign if he wants to stay.
