More information on Cowboys' dangerous George Pickens decision emerges

While Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens recently signed his franchise tag worth roughly $27.3M for the 2026 season, some remain unconvinced that he will happily play on the tag later this year amid his desire for a long-term deal.

On Tuesday, ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano touched upon why the Cowboys were reluctant to commit money to Pickens beyond the upcoming campaign. 

George Pickens needs to add more to his Cowboys bank?

"There are a few reasons the Cowboys want to see Pickens do it again before deciding whether to commit long-term money to him," Graziano said. "One is that they're already paying wide receiver CeeDee Lamb an average of $34M per year, and carrying two of the highest-paid receivers in the league would be a salary cap challenge. The other, as team president Stephen Jones said a few weeks ago, is that Pickens is still new to Dallas. He doesn't have as much in the bank with them as he would if it had been the team that drafted and developed him."

The Cowboys took a flier on Pickens when they acquired him from the Pittsburgh Steelers last spring after he allegedly committed a "litany of violations" with the AFC North club from 2022-24. During his first season with the Cowboys, Pickens was benched for an offensive series after he reportedly missed a team bus. One report shared that the Cowboys fined Pickens at least once for "being late to things" during the campaign, and he was accused by former players and analysts of running lazy routes during a loss. 

That said, Pickens also recorded 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns during the 2025 regular season. Thus, it's easy to understand why the Cowboys want him back with the club on what is basically a "prove it" one-year deal. 

Other teams feel the same as the Cowboys do about George Pickens?

"There are explanations for why the Cowboys were able to get a player as talented as Pickens from the Steelers a year ago for only a third-round pick, just as there are explanations for why no team sent him an offer sheet after Dallas tagged him," Graziano continued. "Pickens' time in Pittsburgh included persistent questions about consistency and focus, and while the Cowboys' 2025 experience with him was positive, it's not unreasonable for them to wait another season before making the kind of commitment his on-field performance deserves on its own."

Pickens' only real option seems to be to play on the tag, stay on his best behavior and silence questions about his dedication to the cause this coming fall. If he does all of that and once again produces elite stats, Stephen Jones and Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones may feel they need to have difficult conversations about the futures of Pickens and Lamb before the next league year opens in March 2027.