ESPN’s Todd Archer reports the Cowboys are officially placing the franchise tag on WR George Pickens.
This has been the expectation for some time now, as Pickens was never believed to hit the open market. Earlier this week it was reported Pickens could contemplate skipping the offseason program if he’s tagged without a long-term deal.
Over The Cap projects the franchise tag to cost $28,824,000 in 2026 for receivers.
Pickens, 24, was a preseason All-American second-team selection in 2021 and a second-team preseason All-SEC at Georgia. The Steelers used the No. 52 overall pick on him in the 2022 NFL Draft.
He’s in the final year of a four-year $6,752,177 rookie contract that included a $2,090,674 signing bonus when he was traded to the Cowboys after the draft for a future third-round pick.
In 2025, Pickens appeared in all 17 games for the Cowboys and caught 93 passes for 1,429 yards receiving and nine touchdowns.
We’ll have more on Pickens as the news is available.
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