Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens confirmed his stay with the team for the 2026 season after signing a franchise tag. But an NFL insider believes a long-term future with the Cowboys remains “unlikely.” 

During the 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys insider Bobby Belt said it's doubtful to see Pickens playing for the Cowboys post the 2026 season. 

"I think Dallas had made up their mind in the spring, a little before the [scouting] combine, he was going to be here,” Belt said. “And there really wasn't going to be a price that was going to make it easy to get him out of here, because they've got this three-year plan they're trying to execute and he's part of it right now.”

Pickens signed a $27.3M franchise tag, keeping him with the Cowboys for the 2026 season. Now, the team has time till July 15 to negotiate a long-term extension, but Belt believes it to be ‘significantly unlikely’ for such terms.

“I don't know that he'll be part of it for all three years,” Belt said. “In fact, I would say it's unlikely. It's significantly more unlikely that he is playing for the Cowboys in ‘27.”

Pickens’ market value stands at over $100M for a four-year contract, averaging $31.25M annually, according to Sportrac.

Stephen Jones, the COO of the Dallas Cowboys, said in a pre-draft conference that paying two elite wide receivers on top of a high-paid quarterback is one of the major reasons for not extending Pickens. 

The Cowboys are investing heavily at the WR position with CeeDee Lamb ($34M) and Pickens ($27.3M) annually. Along with QB Dak Prescott ($60M), being the highest-paid quarterback in the league annually.  

With Pickens officially signing his tag, Emmitt Smith believes the quieter environment could help the Cowboys keep their focus on football.

Emmitt Smith Reacts to Cowboys’ Calm After Pickens Contract Saga

The Cowboys had a slow, quieter offseason ahead of the 2026 season. Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith was happier about the lack of drama, considering the Micah Parsons saga last season.

"It's been a slow, quiet offseason, the way it needs to be," Smith told USA TODAY's Chris Bumbaca. "Now that we've gotten George Pickens out of the way, it's important for people to know, we don't need all that drama. Don't need it. You don't have to create it."

The Cowboys executives have been clear on letting Pickens play on the tag for this season. With May not done yet, there is still a chance that Pickens could sign a long-term extension. Alternatively, he could even play on another franchise tag next year.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote