Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens' future with the Cowboys was one of the major talking points during the offseason. Now, one Hall of Famer argued that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' approach of keeping the wideout under a franchise tag contradicts the reason for which the team traded for him.

During an episode of the Fully Loaded Podcast on July 28, Hall of Famer Cris Carter called out Jones for hesitating in signing wide receiver George Pickens to a long-term deal.

"I think the model that they have, and because of their commitment to CeeDee Lamb already, they don't believe long-term he's [Pickens] going to be a better player than CeeDee Lamb," Carter said during an episode of the Fully Loaded Podcast. "If not, they would have signed him and then maybe even try to shop CeeDee Lamb."

Carter believes the Cowboys did not sign Pickens to a long-term contract because of their financial commitment to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who has the second-highest average annual salary at $34 million per year, just behind Minnesota's Justin Jefferson.

He believes that the Cowboys utilized Pickens to generate production in the offense, while eliminating his chance of exploring free market options by placing him under the franchise tag ($27.3 million).

"Now, when CeeDee Lamb got hurt, what Pickens did, what he showed, was, man, I'm one of the top guys in this league," Cris Carter said during an episode of the Fully Loaded Podcast on July 28. "I deserve that money. Dallas should have never traded for him if they weren't going to sign him to a long-term deal."

Pickens recorded career-highs in receptions (93), receiving yards (1,429), and touchdowns (9), earning his first Pro Bowl nod in 2025.

When Lamb missed Weeks 4-6 entirely and most of the Week 3 game (against the Chicago Bears) in 2025 due to a high ankle sprain, Pickens stepped up to play at the slot, recording 427 receiving yards and five touchdowns in the four-game span.

Pickens was traded on May 7, 2025, when the Pittsburgh Steelers sent him to the Cowboys. More than a year later, they are still not sure about the wide receiver.

While Carter questioned the Cowboys' commitment to Pickens, Jones has maintained that the franchise intends to keep the Pro Bowler with the team beyond the 2026 season.

Jones backs Pickens despite franchise tag uncertainty

According to The Athletic's Jon Machota, Jones revealed Pickens could be part of the Cowboys franchise for the "rest of his career" while speaking about his impact on the team.

"Make no mistake about it, George could be a Cowboy for the rest of his career, and that’d be a long time," Jones said during the training camp press conference, per X post of Jon Machota on July 28. "This (franchise tag) just fit for us, and thank goodness it fit for him, and we got it done.”

Jones said that he values Pickens' positive impact on the team and hoped for the wideout to come out as "the most prolific and successful receiver" in the league for the 2026 season.

The Cowboys owner considers the franchise tag to be a "win-win thing' for both parties, as Pickens gets the chance to prove himself while the business side of the franchise works on roster development.

Do you agree with Cris Carter's criticism, or was Jerry Jones right to keep George Pickens on the franchise tag? Let us know.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar