Cowboys using franchise tag on George Pickens will reportedly be for this reason

Going back to December, reports have indicated that the Dallas Cowboys will eventually retain the rights to wide receiver George Pickens via the franchise tag before the March 3 deadline to do so comes and goes. 

Earlier in February, it was said that "a tag-and-trade scenario is considered a possibility" for Pickens. It seems as if the Cowboys want to pour cold water over such chatter now that the window for teams to use their tags has opened.  

Are Cowboys planning to get a multiyear deal done with George Pickens?

"If the tag (projected to land at a fully guaranteed $28.8M) is placed on Pickens, a newly-crowned Pro Bowler coming off of a career-best season with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, view it as a placeholder to get a deal done before the mid-July deadline without outside interference," Patrik Walker of the Cowboys' website wrote for a piece published on Tuesday. "It would behoove the Cowboys to get a deal done quickly, though, to keep most of that tag expense freed up for free agency shopping in March."

Some have speculated that Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones may not want to give Pickens guaranteed money beyond the 2026 season after the 24-year-old was benched for an offensive series for disciplinary reasons and accused of running lazy routes during at least one Dallas loss in his first campaign with the organization. 

Pickens was previously guilty of a "litany of violations" while with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2022 through the 2024 season, but Walker noted that Pickens has "wildly disproven the narrative that attached itself to him during his time with" Pittsburgh. 

This past Monday, Todd Archer of ESPN shared that "multiple sources said Pickens was fined" during the 2025 season for "being late to things." 

How Cowboys view George Pickens this winter

"Pickens is the most important free agent currently in the building in Dallas, and he's also atop the list for some other clubs as well," Walker added.

 Walker also mentioned that Pickens is "an alien talent" and "a locker room gem" who is "so beloved by his teammates in Dallas that CeeDee Lamb is willing to rework his multi-year contract to keep the duo together for the long haul." 

ESPN stats show that Pickens finished this past regular season ranked eighth in the NFL with 93 receptions, third with 1,429 receiving yards and tied for eighth with nine touchdown catches. It sounds like Dallas won't risk being without that type of production through at least this coming fall.