Jerry Jones has made his decision regarding George Pickens' future. The Dallas Cowboys' star wide receiver is getting the franchise tag, and this move sets the stage for a critical negotiation period.

Jerry Jones wants to keep his WR1 in Dallas for the foreseeable future. He personally met with Pickens on Thursday in Dallas and told him they were putting the franchise tag on him. There is optimism that the two parties can now agree to a deal. 

"There are two different things. One is very clearly the Cowboys want George Pickens to be a part of our future," said Jerry Jones. 

The WR1 put up better stats than counterpart, CeeDee Lamb. Pickens had 93 receptions, 1,429 yards, and nine total touchdowns. 2025 was a breakout year for the wide receiver. 

“I was rewarded that he expressed himself in the way he did about how comfortable he was here, how much he liked working with Dak and his teammates, and he was looking forward to his future with the Cowboys,” said Jones. 

Dak Prescott and Demarcus Lawrence have earned the same tag before. “We’ve had several outstanding players that have played under the franchise tag, including Dak and Lawrence (DeMarcus),” said Jones.  

For Pickens, though, it could be the stepping stone to a solid contract. There is still ample time left for them to agree, but that will be decided at the negotiation table.

What happened to the previous Cowboys players on the franchise tag?

Way back in 2015, Dez Bryant and the Cowboys agreed on a deal on the July 15 trade deadline, signing a 5-year, $70 million extension.  

DeMarcus Lawrence and Dak Prescott were placed on the tag twice. For Lawrence, the 2018 season played out on the tag. The following year, DeMarcus and the Cowboys agreed to a 5-year, $105 million extension in April 2019

For Dak Prescott, it was the same situation as Lawrence, who played in 2020 on the tag and re-negotiated a long-term $160 million deal after the second tag in 2021. 

However, things changed with Dalton Schultz and Tony Pollard. Tagged 2022, Schultz left for the Houston Texans in 2023, and Pollard got tagged in 2023, signed with the Tennessee Titans in 2024.

Written by

Samvruth Raj

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi