George Pickens is making his contract year count - and then some. The Cowboys wideout has turned in a breakout season that’s catapulted him into the center of Dallas’ offseason plans. And with no long-term deal in place, all signs are pointing toward the franchise tag being the team’s next move.
Here’s what we know: there haven’t been any serious negotiations toward a multi-year extension. That’s usually a strong indicator that a tag is coming, especially when we’re talking about a player who just put up the kind of year Pickens had. He’s shown he can be a difference-maker in this offense, and the Cowboys aren’t about to let that kind of talent walk without a fight - or at least without a hefty price tag attached.
But as with any high-profile contract situation, there’s more to the story than just numbers and negotiations. A recent note from ESPN’s Todd Archer added a little fuel to the fire - though not in the way some corners of the internet are spinning it.
Archer mentioned that the maturity and punctuality concerns that followed Pickens from Pittsburgh didn’t just vanish when he landed in Dallas. According to Archer, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer hinted that Pickens was still occasionally late, and multiple sources indicated the receiver was fined during the season.
That’s it. That’s the extent of it. But in the age of social media, it didn’t take long for that to be twisted into something much bigger - including a false claim that CeeDee Lamb was fined “multiple times,” which Archer never reported.
What did happen was this: in a Monday night game against the Raiders, both Pickens and Lamb were benched for the opening series. Jerry Jones later confirmed that Pickens had missed the team bus.
Whether or not that resulted in a fine wasn’t disclosed, but what followed on the field told a different story altogether. Pickens came back and delivered a performance that had Jones gushing in vintage Jerry fashion: “It was poetic... like he was in an opera or something out there.
A ballet.”
That kind of praise doesn’t sound like it’s coming from a front office looking to tear a player down. Still, it’s fair to wonder how the Cowboys will navigate this situation moving forward.
If another team steps up and is willing to pay Pickens $40 million per year - a massive number, but not unheard of for elite receivers in today’s market - that could complicate Dallas’ plans. On the flip side, if the market is cooler than expected, Pickens may be more inclined to work something out with the Cowboys.
So far, there’s no sign that the team is trying to paint Pickens in a negative light to drive down his value. In fact, their willingness to slap the franchise tag on him - a move that would commit roughly $28 million to Pickens for 2026 - shows they’re more than comfortable keeping him in the building.
And that speaks volumes. Forget the noise. If the Cowboys are ready to pay top dollar to keep Pickens in Dallas, that tells you everything you need to know about how they view his value - both on the field and in the locker room.