George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys
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George Pickens #3 of the Dallas Cowboys reacts to a first down during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Dallas Cowboys entered the 2026 NFL offseason with a major question surrounding the future of star wide receiver George Pickens.
Pickens was set to become a free agent this offseason. However, Jerry Jones and the front office decided to place the non-exclusive franchise tag on him. No update has been provided about whether the team has interested in negotiating a long-term extension right now.
With that being said, the Cowboys are not necessarily guaranteed to be able to bring him back.
Placing the non-exclusive franchise tag on Pickens gives him the right to negotiate with other teams. He could sign an offer sheet that Dallas would have the right to match. Should the team choose to pass on matching, another team could acquire him for two first-round picks.
No reports have come out about other teams negotiating with Pickens, but a Cowboys insider has provided a surprising update.
Cowboys Insider Offers New Update About George Pickens
Patrik Walker of the team’s official website has shared that other teams could be discussing a deal with Pickens. He did mention that any serious talks would likely leak to the media, which hasn’t been the case.
”Not every conversation or discussion with a team is publicized, to be frank with you. I promise there are lots of contract talks that happen between players and teams that never make it to the news cycle,” Walker wrote.
“My point being that silence does not necessarily indicate lack of motion. That said, any talks that have a lot of meat on the bone could find its way to the headlines, somewhat to your point. As far as leverage for the Cowboys goes, they’ve got most of it regardless of anything.”
Basically, Walker is reporting that there is a chance other teams have had conversations with Pickens. They could at least be getting an idea of what contract it would take to sign him. But, they won’t necessarily sign him to an offer sheet this offseason.
George Pickens Is Coming Off of a Breakout Season in 2025
Last offseason, the Cowboys acquired Picks in a post-draft trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He put together a career-best season.
After showing major potential throughout his first three seasons with the Steelers, the 25-year-old wideout racked up 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns in 17 games with Dallas.
With that kind of production, Pickens is showing his ability to be a legitimate No. 1 wideout. There are quite a few teams around the NFL who could use that kind of a weapon.
More than likely, Pickens will be back to start the 2026 NFL season with the Cowboys. Another team could still swoop in, but that doesn’t seem like a very good possibility at this point in time due to the price tag to steal him away from Dallas.