Cowboys plan for George Pickens to play on franchise tag in 2026 without long-term deal
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys are planning for George Pickens to play on the franchise tag this year and won't negotiate with the star receiver or his agent on a long-term contract, executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones said Wednesday. Pickens hasn't signed the one-year deal worth $27. 3 million , which means the 25-year-old would face no financial penalties if he didn't report to mandatory minicamp in June.
The rest of the offseason program, which starts Monday, is voluntary. “We’ve made a decision that we’re going to have George play under the franchise tag, which won’t be a first for us,” Stephen Jones said. “So there won’t be negotiations on a long-term deal.
But that’s certainly not a first for this organization and certainly won’t be a first in the league in terms of this decision as we move forward. ” Stephen Jones said he hasn't talked to Pickens recently, but said owner Jerry Jones and coach Brian Schottenheimer met with him recently. “It was good,” Schottenheimer said during the Cowboys' news conference leading into the NFL draft, which starts Thursday night.
“The thing that George knows about Jerry and myself is we’re very upfront and we’re honest. We had great conversation. We informed him.
We think that’s important because that’s the way we handle all of our players and coaches. ” David Mulugheta, Pickens' agent, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Pickens, acquired last offseason in a trade with Pittsburgh , had career highs in catches (93), yards receiving (1,429) and touchdowns (nine) for one of the best offenses in the NFL last season.