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Impending free agent George Pickens won’t be hitting the open market, but the wideout playing elsewhere in 2026 remains a possibility.
While the Dallas Cowboys are expected to place the franchise tag on Pickens, a tag-and-trade scenario is considered a possibility, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported Sunday on NFL GameDay Morning.
Tagging Pickens would be a temporary salve for a Cowboys club that currently sits $29.2 million over the salary cap. Considering Pickens would surely prefer long-term security after a breakout season in 2025, a tag-and-trade could be seen as a win-win for both parties should an extension not come to be.
“The Cowboys have shown a willingness to trade their star players for significant draft pick compensation,” Rapoport said on NFL GameDay Morning, alluding to the blockbuster trade of Micah Parsons to the Packers. “Maybe those players have the same agent in David Mulugheta. I’m just saying, it’s an interesting situation to consider.”
By far the most dynamic pass catcher among pending free agents, Pickens was a standout performer for the Cowboys after Dallas acquired him through a trade with the Steelers last offseason.
He more than proved his mettle as a potential WR1 when CeeDee Lamb missed time due to a high ankle sprain, and even just looking at averages actually outpaced the longtime Cowboys star in several categories. Pickens, who made his first career Pro Bowl with 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, also posted 15.4 yards per reception, 5.5 receptions per game and 84.1 yards per game. Lamb (75 catches for 1,077 yards and three TDs) finished with 14.4 yards per receptions, 5.4 receptions per game and 76.9 yards per game.
The two were a perfect, high-caliber complement on an offense that ranked seventh in scoring and second in yards, and the Cowboys certainly would prefer Pickens in the fold after previously operating for several years with seemingly a major chasm between Lamb and Dak Prescott‘s second pass-catching option. Jerry Jones indicated as much recently when he said he’d love to keep Pickens in Dallas for “a long time.”
Still, Pickens is well aware he drove up his contract price with his career campaign.
The tag for the wideouts is projected at $28.8 million, the second-most expensive position in the NFL, and the window for the Cowboys to officially apply it runs from Feb. 17 to the deadline at 4 p.m. ET on March 3.
As it stands, the tag would put Pickens at 11th in average pay among wide receivers heading into 2026, wedged between the Commanders’ Terry McLaurin and the Bengals’ Tee Higgins. Lamb is third, averaging $34 million per year.
Teams have until July 15 to sign a franchise-tagged player to an extension. Otherwise, the player must play on the tag or a one-year deal (a trade or the individual holding out notwithstanding).
Dallas will be on the clock to decide exactly how it goes forward with Pickens, but he won’t be touching free agency — with the franchise tag being the expected first step in the Cowboys’ process.