While the franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens was expected, it does not ensure him a long-term future with the Cowboys. Former player Le’Veon Bell has some sound advice for him.

Earlier this week, on The White House with Michael Irvin podcast on Netflix, the titular host asked former All-Pro running back Bell what Pickens should do with the franchise tag, as he was also in the same boat as the latter.

Bell responded, “I got franchised twice. If I'm George, yeah. I think I play on the tag in hopes of trying to get a deal worked out. I think they do make a deal eventually because they got CeeDee Lamb too.”

The Cowboys had earlier placed a franchise tag on their star wide receiver. Pickens is set to earn a guaranteed salary of approximately $27.3 million if he plays on the one-year tender, although both sides can negotiate a long-term deal until July 15, 2026.

George Pickens was picked up by the Cowboys at the start of the 2025 season from the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had a career-best season, covering 1,429 yards and scoring 9 touchdowns. Along with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, he was part of an offensive threat that should have taken the Cowboys to the playoffs.

Owner and GM Jerry Jones has a habit of franchise tagging players. Prescott himself was franchise tagged twice before a long-term extension. Jones' philosophy is simple: he wants his players to fight for their spot.

No wonder Le’Veon Bell's advice for Pickens to stick through it has a familiar ring to it.

Speculations are on the rise about Pickens’ reaction to the tag and if he will take part in the off-season training camp. However, some at the front office have faith that Pickens will play through it all.

Stephen Jones Is Confident That Pickens Will Play Under the Tag

Executive Vice President Stephen Jones said he is confident that George Pickens will play under the franchise tag and will attend the training camp.

To prove his point, star quarterback Dak Prescott was franchise tagged twice and still attended all offseason training camps.

“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,” Jones said.

Prescott also shared some advice to Pickens to not look at the “business” side of things and to focus on his love for football.

Fans, however, seem to think that Pickens deserves a long-term contract given his standout performance last season. Pickens himself might be left thinking what more he should do to secure a long-term contract with the Cowboys.

What do you think about the franchise tag on Pickens? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Shyam Hari

Edited by

Sayantan Gayen