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George Pickens #3 of the Dallas Cowboys
Sign it. Take the $27 million. Have a great year. Come back to free agency next winter. For Dallas Cowboys star George Pickens, that would be the simple approach to his current contract situation. He wants a long-term deal but the one-year franchise-tag contract is on the table now, and rather than drag out a summer of holdouts and drama that can only be a distraction for the team, he can just sign the tag contract and get started on the 2026 season.
For legendary Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith, that’s just what Pickens ought to do. As he told the Dallas Morning News in an interview published Wednesday, “Take the one-year deal … He should be motivated to play at a high level.”
For each of the last two summers, Dallas has dealt with contract issues, first with Dak Prescott (who did not hold out) and CeeDee Lamb (who did) in 2024, then Micah Parsons (who did a hold-in) in 2025.
Maybe Pickens will break the mold and choose to pass on turning his contract situation into a sideshow. He and the Cowboys have a July 15 deadline for reaching a new long-term contract, or else he’s bound to play on the franchise deal.
Cowboys Contract Should Motivate George Pickens
That means the Cowboys have the clear upper hand, and for Smith, that also means Pickens should sign his deal, report to training camp and earn an even bigger contract for his next free-agent go-round. That’s extra motivation for 2026.
Just as playing in an offense with Prescott and Lamb should be a motivating factor.
“He should be motivated,” Smith said. “And I’m telling you George: you’re not going to go to too many places that’s going to be like Dallas, or Texas. You can go to Florida somewhere, who down in Florida is going to throw you the football?
“You’re better at The Star. Look at The Star, see the facilities that we have, look at what you have the opportunity to build here. Come on. Think about life beyond the game.”
Former Dallas Cowboys player Emmitt Smith
(Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)Former Dallas Cowboys player Emmitt Smith
George Pickens Told To Sign Tag by Le’Veon Bell
Indeed, that has been the consensus advice Pickens has gotten from former players around the league when it comes to dealing with the Cowboys. There is little leverage for a player once he has gotten the franchise tag–sitting out a whole season is the most drastic option, and the one player who has done that is former Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell.
Bell was asked about the Pickens situation and advised him to sign the tag and move forward.
Advice From Cowboys’ Dak Prescott
Even Prescott has said he’d like to see Pickens sign the deal and put the issue to rest. Prescott was in a similar situation with the Cowboys when he played under the franchise tag in 2020.
“George loves football,” Prescott said. “That’s the one thing about it. I just want him to know, don’t change your love for football. Don’t get in the business mind of this. You played last year on a one-year [deal] for not even that much, right? So, if you can go $30 [million] or whatever it is now, I think it’s the same thing I got when I was franchised, hey, go do it.
“At the end of the day, bet on yourself. He’s a hell of a player. Hopefully, we can get him long-term and sign that but, if not, I think the way he plays the game, the person that he is, he’ll be just fine.”