The Dallas Cowboys made a surprising announcement earlier in the week when they decided to place the non-exclusive rights franchise tag on star wide receiver George Pickens. That means the Cowboys will pay Pickens $27.3 million to play this season.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport said that Pickens will sign the franchise tag even though the one-year deal does not give him any security after the 2026 season. In the past, multiple Cowboys have been tagged, and it has often been a point of contention among the players that received the tag. However, that does not appear to be the case with Pickens. He will reportedly sign his franchise tag without protesting.
The likelihood is that other teams will come calling the Cowboys to see if they can make a deal for Pickens, and the decision by the receiver to sign the franchise tag means that a trade is a possibility. However, he is clearly a key part of the Dallas offense and his partnership with fellow wideout CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott gives the Cowboys an attack that is clearly dangerous.
Pickens is entering his fifth year in the NFL. He spent his first three season with the Pittsburgh Steelers before moving on to the Cowboys last season. He has been productive in each of his seasons, but last season was his best by a wide margin. The 6-3, 200-pound Pickens was a second-round selection in the 2022 Draft out of Georgia. Pickens was targeted 137 times last season and he caught 93 passes for 1,429 yards and 9 touchdowns.
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