Do the Cowboys Have a Long-Term Vision Beyond 2026 for Their 25-Year-Old Star Receiver?
Now that the Dallas Cowboys can finally put George Pickens’ $27.3 million franchise tag debacle to bed, they have a promising 2026 season ahead of them with the players they have brought onto the team this offseason. While some, like Adam Schefter, have speculated he could be traded to someone else, the Cowboys have quashed any rumors of getting rid of their prized wide receiver. Cowboys Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Jones, has said they have some long-term plans for the 25-year-old. The team has a few options to consider going forward.
They could use multiple franchise tags to buy time before agreeing to a more secure contract, or they could jump straight to negotiations after this temporary deal ends. Using one or more tags allows the Cowboys to buy time until they have a solid contract. This will help prevent him from leaving while they manage the budget and keep Pickens happy to stay. On the other hand, if the Cowboys decide to forgo using tags to buy time in favor of signing him on a more permanent basis, they won’t risk him leaving immediately. This ensures he won’t leave to join a team better able to provide what he wants. This does mean that they’ll have to work hard at the negotiating table to strike a good balance between what their salary cap is able to afford and what his demands will be in order to play for them.
The Cowboys should sign Pickens if he is playing as well as he has. His stats show he is well-suited for the team, and the potential for the 25-year-old to perceive multiple franchise tags as a lack of commitment is very real. Using them to stall means he’ll be more likely to leave for a team that won’t have such reservations with their contractual obligations. While Jones said they have long-term plans, he may not want to wait, and so, the Cowboys could lose him to another very interested party due to a lack of commitment. Ultimately, this is a question of whether the Cowboys will pay now to resolve the issue or find a solution later.
