Cowboys, George Pickens finally agree to $27 million franchise tag before NFL Draft originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Dallas Cowboys took a lot of strides. Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones needed to reach out to agent David Mulugheta first but it may have been worth the time. They finally got George Pickens to stay one more year. He agreed to sign the franchise tag before the NFL Draft.
George Pickens is under contract with the Cowboys for the 2026 season. He will be getting a guarantee of $27.3 million in the upcoming year. The belief is that his camp expects a larger payout come 2027, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
A lot of uncertainty clouded the saga between Pickens and the Cowboys but fans can rest easy for a bit before the NFL Draft. Jerry Jones had to have a conversation with agent David Mulugheta just hours before the deal was signed. Apparently, they had to reach out with an 'olive branch' just to ensure that Pickens' future was secured entering the NFL Draft.
The Cowboys owner outlined that signing the $27 million franchise tag was the best situation for Pickens.
"Obviously, he's been here for a year. We gave up a third-round pick for him, and certainly he's made tremendous progress in the year he's been here. I think he'd be the first to tell you this is a great situation for him, playing with CeeDee Lamb and Dak and in Coach Schottenheimer's offense. He loves Coach Schottenheimer and what he brings to the table. But certainly, a conscious decision that we've made," the older Jones declared on April 22.
However, this deal before the NFL Draft does not mean that the contract woes of the Cowboys will stop. In a weird twist of front office cognitive dissonance, it opens a plethora of problems headlined by the statement of COO Stephen Jones just days before signing. He told members of the media that the Cowboys have no long-term plans of keeping Pickens.
"We've made the decision that George Pickens will play under the franchise tag. There won't be any long-term negotiations," Stephen Jones said.
Pickens knows his value. His career-high numbers which included 1,492 receiving yards, nine receiving touchdowns, and a Pro Bowl selection prove this.
He just saw Jaxon Smith-Njigba sign a deal that pays $42.15 million per year. The Cowboys wide receiver will be worth way more than that when 2027 rolls around. If things do not work out, Mulugheta knows how to get his client out. The Cowboys saw him take Micah Parsons out of a bad contract situation and he has all the skills to do the same with Pickens.