Wide receiver George Pickens has been everything the Dallas Cowboys could have possibly hoped for in 2025, but that doesn’t mean they’ll make a long-term investment in the former second-round pick. After spending the first three years of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cowboys acquired the wideout during the final year of his rookie contract. He’s justified that confidence by turning into one of the league’s most productive receivers, recording 73 receptions for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns through 12 games of action.
Normally, players like this receive long-term extensions. However, the Cowboys might not be willing to hand out yet another massive contract to a wide receiver, especially since George Pickens is no stranger to off-field incidents. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Dallas could use the franchise tag to retain the wide receiver and make him prove that this performance isn’t a one-year fluke.
REPORT: Cowboys Could Use Franchise Tag on Impending Free Agent George Pickens
Based on talent alone, George Pickens is one of the game’s best receivers and well worth a massive extension, whether it’s from the Cowboys or any of the other 31 organizations. However, off-field issues plagued him dating back to his college days. It’s the reason he fell to the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft and the reason the Steelers sent him to Dallas despite three productive seasons.
While he has largely kept his nose out of trouble with the Cowboys, he and fellow star receiver CeeDee Lamb were benched for one drive against the Las Vegas Raiders after missing curfew while at a casino. If this is how Pickens acts without a long-term financial commitment from the organization, then what will he do once he receives a life-changing amount of guaranteed money?
Franchise Tag History
Generally speaking, teams across the league are wary of using the franchise tag and only utilize it as a last-ditch effort to keep a star impending free agent in town. However, Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys are the exception to the rule, and history suggests they will have no issue using the tag on George Pickens.
For those unfamiliar with the term, the franchise tag is a tool that allows all 32 teams to keep one impending free agent from reaching the open market. If a player signs the tag, they’ll receive a one-year, fully guaranteed contract worth either 120% of their previous season’s salary, or an average of the top-five salaries at their position, whichever is greater.
George Pickens is one of the best players at a premium position, and it’s easy to see why the Cowboys would use the franchise tag to secure his services. After all, they used it to retain an inferior player in Tony Pollard back in 2023, Dalton Schultz in 2022, and even used it to delay Dak Prescott’s extension in 2020 and 2021. While they took a break from using the tag in 2024 and 2025, don’t be surprised if the Cowboys break it out again to keep George Pickens in a Cowboys jersey.
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