The Cowboys' WR George Pickens was put on franchise tag this February, with a deadline of July 15. And finally, after months of back-and-forth negotiations, Pickens has committed to it.

According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, just hours before the 2026 NFL Draft, Pickens signed the tag, as the Cowboys ceased the long-term contract talks earlier this week.

On Thursday, owner Jones and vice president Stephen Jones took a call with Pickens and his agent, David Mulugheta, as a peace offering and discussion about Pickens future, as per Rapoport. The call was described as "professional and cordial."

Pickens' franchise tag deal was worth $27.3M fully guaranteed, making him the sixth-highest-paid wide receiver in 2026.

Stephen Jones made it clear that Pickens would be playing on a franchise tag for this season, retaining him much before the July 15 deadline.

“I think we’ve made a decision that we’re going to have George play under the franchise tag, which won’t be a first for us. So there won’t be negotiations on a long-term deal,” Stephen Jones said to Garrett Podell from CBS Sports during the pre-draft conference.

But despite all the commotion regarding the franchise tag and long-term stability of the player, the Cowboys addressed the Pickens situation briefly after the first night of the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Stephen Jones Issues Stance on Pickens Deal

During the post-draft press conference, Stephen Jones provided an update about the team's desire not to trade George Pickens after the franchise tag update.  

Joe White of the Dallas News asked whether George Pickens' intention to sign his franchise tag changed anything about Dallas's expectations for him being a Cowboy in 2026.

Stephen said firmly. "We have no intention of moving George. In our mind, he is ready to come in and sign his tender."

"We have every reason in the world to believe he's ready to go to work. We have zero intention of moving George Pickens", he said during the post-draft conference of the Dallas Cowboys.

Despite ongoing discussions about his long-term future, the Dallas Cowboys have taken a firm short-term approach, choosing to evaluate things as the season unfolds.

What are your thoughts on George Pickens? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Rudra Dubey