As Kevin Patra of the NFL’s web site famous, the Dallas Cowboys and large receiver George Pickens seemingly have an settlement labored out forward of Wednesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline for groups to signal tagged gamers to multiyear contracts.
The Cowboys will neither commerce Pickens nor will they signal him to an extension, and he will play for the crew on the franchise tag price roughly $27.3M for the 2026 season.
Throughout Wednesday’s version of ESPN’s “Get Up” program, former NFL participant, govt and present analyst Louis Riddick recommended that Pickens and the Cowboys will not prolong their working relationship past the upcoming marketing campaign.
Will Cowboys let George Pickens stroll after 2026 season?
“This seems like a scenario that’s organising for 2026 to be George’s final season [with the Cowboys],” Riddick defined. “George sort of realizes that. And that is why he stated, ‘Hey, look, you recognize what? I am gonna signal the tender right here and simply sort of rip it up this 12 months, and then let the chips fall the place they might within the offseason in 2027. There’s actually no different approach to have a look at it.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly grew uninterested in Pickens’ alleged antics after the 2022 second-round draft decide spent the primary three campaigns of his professional profession with the AFC North membership. Pittsburgh then traded Pickens to Dallas within the spring of 2025, and he recorded 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and 9 touchdowns final season.
Nonetheless, Pickens was reportedly fined by the Cowboys not less than as soon as final fall for “being late to issues.” He was additionally accused of wanting “tired of enjoying soccer” on a number of events throughout the 2025 season.
Cowboys need George Pickens “hungry” and in a contract 12 months?
“They really feel as if the most effective model of George Pickens is the one that’s hungry and attempting to safe long-term monetary stability within the type of a long-term contract,” Riddick stated in regards to the Cowboys. “And they’re simply not snug going forward and giving him monetary safety and signing him to a long-term deal. And look, I imply, I suppose you need to perceive the place Dallas is coming from with this. They’ve extra data than anybody else. They’re those who have been with him each single day final 12 months. …They’re simply not snug going forward and giving him the assured cash that he most likely will get on the open market from some soccer crew.”
The Cowboys reportedly might afford to retain Pickens’ rights for 2027 by way of the franchise tag and in addition preserve presumed WR1 CeeDee Lamb on their roster. After all, it’s miles too early to know if Cowboys proprietor and basic supervisor Jerry Jones will need to go down such a street subsequent offseason.
