The former Dallas Cowboys' legend Michael Irvin is never the one to mince his words. The Hall of Fame wide receiver is back at it again, this time calling out George Pickens for being strategic.

On April 27, Michael Irvin pointed out that Pickens' pre-draft move stopped America’s Team from making an Eagles-like move of securing a WR in their first round.

"He was saying to the Cowboys: 'Please, don't draft another receiver,'" Irvin said on his podcast. "George took it off the table by signing the franchise tag. Make them do what Philly did by drafting the replacement for A.J. Brown while he's still there.”

The Cowboys put a 'franchise tag' deal on Pickens worth $27.3 million fully guaranteed, making him the sixth-highest-paid wide receiver in 2026.

With a production trailing behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba, his market value just exceeded that of his contemporaries like CeeDee Lamb ($34M), valuing him worth at about $42.15 million.

According to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, Pickens is entitled to a 20% increase over his 2026 pay, as per the NFL rules. It would approximately value him at $32.75 million, which is still below his current market value.

During his 2025 campaign with the Cowboys, Pickens recorded 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns in 17 games, earning his first Pro Bowl selection.

Irvin pushed back on the idea that signing the tag was any kind of concession from Pickens.

"Why would George sign this? It's not about conceding any point during the negotiation," Irvin explained in his podcast. "If we're truly negotiating, competing, but when we're working together, things like this happen. Because I'm telling you guys this is what I want to do and this is where I want to be."

Despite all the noise around his franchise tag, George Pickens reportedly wants either a trade or a long-term contract with the Cowboys.

Pickens' Contract Situation Remains Unresolved

According to NFL insider Ian Rappaport, George Pickens was expected to sign his franchise tag ahead of the July 15 deadline, just before the 2026 NFL Draft.

However, he did not sign the contract and missed the first day of voluntary workouts on April 27.

“Look, he wants a long-term contract, or he would like a trade,” Adam Schefter said during Monday’s episode of Pat McAfee Show.

As far as the Cowboys' organization is concerned, they have expressed their 'zero intentions of trading George Pickens'.

Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones clarified the situation at Dallas' post-first-round press conference.

“I have no intention of moving George, and obviously, in our mind, we're fired up about it", Jones said. "He's ready to come in here and sign his tender. Hopefully, he's ready to go to work, but we have zero intention of moving George Pickens.”

Until that deal is finalized, a layer of uncertainty remains for a Cowboys offense that was among the league’s best in 2025.

You can read more at the Dallas Cowboys Community!

Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Rishab Nandi