Recently, Brian Schottenheimer took time with NFL.com to discuss the potential impact of the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens franchise tag. The star receiver had a great 2025 campaign with the team, his first year there after being traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers back in May of 2025. Last season, Pickens caught 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. Pickens’ stellar season earned him a spot in the Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro, concluding the regular season 3rd in receiving yards. It was enough that the Cowboys recently made a George Pickens franchise tag a reality.
Cowboys Hand George Pickens Franchise Tag
Pickens has solidified himself as one of the best, if not the best, number two wide receivers in the NFL, and some may even consider him as a 1A to teammate CeDee Lamb. Pickens recently signed the franchise tag for the Cowboys for the 2026 season, but head coach Brian Schottenheimer spoke positively about Pickens recently.
Brian Schottenheimer On Pickens Being Back for 2026
It was reported by Grant Gordon of NFL.com that Schottenheimer talked about what Pickens being one of their top players Saturday, saying, “Where he can continue to go and grow is scary because what he did last year was amazing. And the more you watch the film, the more you see it, and you’re just kind of like, ‘Whoa.’ It’s just different,” We’ve got a lot of really good football players, and he’s certainly at the top of that list along with some of our other studs.”
Schottenheimer went on to say, “It makes us excited that we know that we plan on George being here, and George, I think, is really excited about coming back. My word I’ve used is always evolve. We’re in the process of evolving, but it doesn’t have to happen tomorrow or a week from now. It’s going to happen.”
Franchise tags aren’t always looked at positively, being that a long-term deal isn’t likely reached at the time of one, but Schottenheimer continued, “We’ve been very upfront with George from the beginning about, ‘Hey, we’re going to play on the tag’ and stuff. I don’t think there’s any reason to have that. That’s not what we plan on doing. At the end of the day, we see George being a part of this football team and having a great (2026 season) and hopefully beyond.”
Pickens is one of the most talented wide receivers in the NFL and provides a spark to the Cowboys’ offense that can carry them through the year.
