George Pickens, Cowboys have three options after he agrees to sign franchise tag

The Dallas Cowboys and wide receiver George Pickens at least have some clarity on their short-term future together. After the Cowboys and Pickens' agent spoke about the wide receiver's future on Thursday, Pickens has reportedly agreed to sign his franchise tender for the 2026 season. 

It would pay him $27.3 million for the 2026 season. 

That is a big deal because it gives both Pickens and the Cowboys some serious options on what comes next, and there are three potential outcomes at play here.

Let's break them down.

1. George Pickens plays the 2026 season on the franchise tag, bets on himself, cashes in next offseason

This is the most logical conclusion and a very short-term fix. 

It would allow Pickens to bet on himself, put together another monster season offensively and go into the offseason next spring with a chance to again hit the open market and get a monster contract from somebody else. 

That seems to be the path since it would be unlikely that the Cowboys would franchise tag him again given the salary-cap number that would entail. 

2. The Cowboys could now trade George Pickens

When the Cowboys were unable to work out a long-term deal with superstar edge-rusher Micah Parsons a year ago, they him to the Green Bay Packers for two first-round draft picks and defensive lineman Kenny Clark. Those additional picks allowed the Cowboys to make complementary deals, including the trade-deadline move for defensive lineman Quinnen Williams. 

It is worth noting that Pickens and Parsons are represented by the same agent, and ESPN's Adam Schefter made sure to point out on social media on Thursday night that Pickens can be traded as soon as he signs his franchise tender.