The Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens is set to play under the franchise tag for the 2026 season and is currently the only player in the league playing on a tag this year, drawing more attention to his long-term future with the franchise. 

The Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Pickens in February amid trade speculation and rumors of a long-term extension. Pickens signed the tag in late April, and now, the team still has until July 15 to negotiate a multi-year deal. 

“The downside of Pickens being on the tag is that his entire $27.3 million salary counts against the Cowboys' salary cap, which gives Dallas far less wiggle room than the first year of an extension would have afforded,” wrote Mike Moraitis of Sports Illustrated

Pickens remains the only franchise-tagged player in the NFL. The Atlanta Falcons signed tight end Kyle Pitts and the Indianapolis Colts signed quarterback Daniel Jones to long-term deals after tagging them earlier.

Moraitis of Sports Illustrated believes that the team saved enough on the cap structure by not agreeing to a long-term commitment for the wideout. The Cowboys executives have been firm on neither signing Pickens to a long-term deal nor trading him to another team.

Pickens had a breakout season last year, recording all career highs in receptions (93), receiving yards (1,429), and touchdowns (9), earning his first Pro Bowl nod.

Moraitis further added that the Cowboys avoided a risk of signing the 'mercurial wideout' as he is known for his 'behaviour issues', both on and off the field, during his stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"We got a glimpse of those issues last season, when Pickens was benched for a drive for missing the team bus, when he was fined for being late to team meetings, and when he was accused of not giving full effort on more than one occasion," Moraitis wrote in the same article.

Moraitis believes that Pickens' production and off-field behaviour in the 2026 season could impact his future, as he could demand a lucrative deal from the team willing to acquire him, including the Cowboys.

One NFL Analyst believes that Pickens could enter the NFL Top 100 players of 2026, depending on his 2026 performance.

George Pickens ranked No. 3 among future NFL top 100 debuts

According to NFL Analyst Bucky Brooks, Pickens ranked third among the seven players whom the analyst expects to make a debut in the NFL top 100 players list for the 2026 season.

"He [Pickens] has become a nightmare on the perimeter for defenses as a crafty route runner, particularly on slants and other in-breaking routes at intermediate depth," Brooks wrote in his article on NFL.com.

He believes that Pickens' elevation in the upcoming season could make him one of the 'most difficult playmakers to stop' and projects him to emerge in the Top 50 ranking of NFL players.

Brooks believes that, as Pickens is entering a contract year playing on the franchise tag, the teams in the league will closely monitor whether he can elevate his game further.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote