After weeks of speculation, the Dallas Cowboys have confirmed that they have placed the franchise tag on star wide receiver George Pickens. However, the decision opens the door to a new round of contract drama.

The franchise announced via their official website on Friday that Pickens is now locked in for the 2026 season with a franchise tag worth $28 million.

This move is along expected lines, after Executive Vice President Stephen Jones hinted at tying down Pickens with the franchise tag earlier in the week. Speaking to Judy Battista of NFL Media, Stephen Jones had said, “We want Pickens here. We think the world of him. We love him. And I think he wants to be here.”

George Pickens has had a stellar first season with the Cowboys, playing 17 games and recording a career high 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. He formed a formidable partnership alongside CeeDee Lamb with Dak Prescott at the helm.

With this move, the Cowboys’ wide receiver duo will be paid a combined average annual value of $62 million, which is one of the most expensive receiver duos, second only to that of the Cincinnati Bengals’ Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins ($69 million)

While CeeDee Lamb is currently on a four-year, $136 million contract, George Pickens has not been given a long-term contract yet. While offering Pickens a long-term contract could have freed up some cap space, the Cowboys have chosen to retain him for the short term before the long-term negotiations can begin.

Is the George Pickens Move the End or Just the Start of More Drama?

The Cowboys decisison could go two ways. One of them can be the Dak Prescott way, where, after getting franchise tagged, Prescott negotiated a long-term contract and settled in.

Now that the franchise tag is placed on Pickens, speculations are rising about whether he will take this quietly. At 24, Pickens is entering his prime. Failing to secure a long-term deal after a career season could create frustration for the young receiver.

This means that Pickens could miss the offseason training camps and practice sessions. Stephen Jones, however, did not seem perturbed by this. “A lot of guys we’ve tagged participated in everything, (with) Dak (Prescott) leading the way. He played under 2 of them. He never missed anything. Hopefully, that will be the case here,” Stephen Jones told reporters earlier this week.

However, Pickens is represented by agent David Mulugheta, the same agent who represented Micah Parsons in his move to the Green Bay Packers. Only time will tell how the rest of the steps during negotiation play out.

What do you think of the Cowboys’ move to franchise tag George Pickens? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Shyam Hari

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi