The Cowboys Next Move Feels Like a George Pickens Extension

[Stash]

Top ten receiver yes. Headache yes. Disappeared in games and jogged routes, yes multiple times, missed meetings and was late, yes.

Aren't you sick of these kinds of players on the Cowboys? Or are you just used to it?

It seems like you’re trying to paint everything with a brush of negativity.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Schottenheimer.

The guy that publicly cried for Eberflus while saying "hes trying really hard you guys"

Naw I mean the first part….


Outspoken people who arent happy about the their contract dont do well in Dallas,

I honestly couldn’t think of anyone…maybe Zek?

 

[DCwarrior]

How long before CD feels disrespected? My guess is not long if GP is making anything close to his pay.

 

[phildadon86]

Naw I mean the first part….


Outspoken people who arent happy about the their contract dont do well in Dallas,

I honestly couldn’t think of anyone…maybe Zek?

Zeke, Zack Martin, Lamb.

All held out. All got hurt when they returned because they werent training with the team.

Lets not get started on Dez.

 

[DAL1180]

The exclusive tag means no other team can negotiate with the tagged player. Pickens was given the non-exclusive tag.

The entire franchise tag system is set up to favor the owners. Yes players can make some big money in one year, but it offers no longer term financial security. It’s one reason players usually hate it. If the player gets hurt, they have lost their leverage.

Can a team agree to lesser compensation or does the deal have to be 2 1's? And in any negotiation both sides have to get something right? All agreements cant just favor the players.

 

[Bobhaze]

Can a team agree to lesser compensation or does the deal have to be 2 1's? And in any negotiation both sides have to get something right? All agreements cant just favor the players.

The Cowboys could choose to trade Pickens outside the parameters of the franchise tag. In that case they can field offers like any trade.

What I’m not sure about - has Pickens signed the tag offer? Someone else may know. If he has it may bind what can happen. I just don’t know the answer to that.

 

[big dog cowboy]

And I keep coming back to this question: Why trade for Pickens if you were never going to pay him market value? If he had a great year - which he did, why tag him instead of signing him?

Great question!!!

Another example of Jerry trying to prove he is the smartest person in the room.

 

[Bobhaze]

Can a team agree to lesser compensation or does the deal have to be 2 1's? And in any negotiation both sides have to get something right? All agreements cant just favor the players.

According to Google search:

While the Cowboys officially applied the non-exclusive franchise tag on February 27, 2026, Pickens has not signed the one-year deal as the two sides continue to negotiate a long-term extension.

If Pickens plays under the tag for the 2026 season, he is set to earn a fully guaranteed $27.298 million.

The Cowboys and Pickens have until July 15, 2026, to agree to a multi-year contract. If no deal is reached by then, he must play the 2026 season on the one-year franchise tender or choose to hold out.

It is interesting that Pickens’ agent is David Mulugheta, the same agent Micah Parsons employs. According to my research, no Mulugheta client has ever played under the franchise tag. They have always either signed an extension or been traded.

Stay tuned.

 

[blueblood70]

Really good article. Gets into the salary cap too.

The Cowboys Next Move Feels Like a George Pickens Extension
April 21, 2026,
by Cody Warren

George Pickens contract extension alt text: Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens celebrates with the football in his hand during a game, as questions grow about whether he will land a contract extension.

The Brandon Aubrey deal is finally finished, and that puts my focus exactly where it belongs now. George Pickens.

If the Cowboys want more breathing room before the draft class hits the books, this is the next logical move. I don’t think this should be too complicated because Dallas already made the decision to franchise tag him.

Now they need to finish the job. Aubrey is signed, and the draft class is coming. The cap space is needed to get all the rookies into camp.

This is simple; sign George Pickens long term or trade him. The balls in your court Cowboys front office.

Much more: https://insidethestar.com/the-cowboys-next-move-feels-like-a-george-pickens-extension

It's dangerous to get up in your feelings..lol I expect nothing so if I'm surprised that'd be great If not it's not a big deal they have till July What would be crazy though if you want sign of somethings that may or may not happen if they pick a receiver in the first round if like one of the top receivers dropped to them at 12 you know he's getting traded before the season starts..

They'd rather go young in the first place they wanted TET last year and didn't get him that would have been a great compliment to Lamb but I think they're waiting till after the draft for that very reason They're not in a hurry 'cause they have till July but they're thinking if a receiver drops in their lap they may do something crazy because they know they can trade George Pickens and get that draft capital back it'll have to be used next year but lookout because my feelings might be he could still be traded before the season starts..

stay tuned...

 

[KingCorcoran]

Yup. Under market cost, disgruntled player, contract distractions in the locker room, incessant media criticism about the “negotiation”, fan base anxiety about the roster, drama over a potential holdout until week 10 etc…

This is the norm for this FO

I don’t believe Pickens is going to leave $1.5 million per game on the table. I don’t believe his agent would advise him to do that. He may indicate his angst by skipping some organized team activities. A long hold out would be pointless, as well as, expensive.

The first time he drops a pass fans think he should have caught the drama intensifies.

 

[Reid1boys]

We aren't paying 2 top dollar wideouts. Not happening. I don't think he will be on this team. The math ain't mathing. Take the money and fix other areas.

i will bet you a steak dinner that Pickens is on the Cowboys in 2026.

 

[blueblood70]

I think this writer is way off in his assumptions of a Pickens contract.

His numbers from Spotrac are no longer valid. They were done prior to the offseason and based on old numbers. JSN has now reset the market at $42 million a year.

Pickens and his agent aren’t going to settle for $12 million a year less.

That’s just your opinion, not necessarily the truth. If the franchise tag was set before JSN, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s neither JSN nor Lamb. He hasn’t proven he can put up that kind of season on his own, especially in an offense with no protection to pull coverage. You can’t compare his market to JSN’s, just like Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins, their deals are far apart at least enough to worth keeping both, same with Brown/smith. Guys like Higgins or Smith are complementary players; even if they can be starters, it doesn’t matter how he or Pickens sees himself.

On a team like the Cowboys, you can’t expect top five money if you’re not that guy. If that’s the expectation, then play under the tag and leave, or let the Cowboys draft a receiver and trade him.


We’ve been talking about this way too much all offseason. Thinking he’s on the market and trying to get in his head is the wrong approach. He’d have to leave the team and make his demands clear to the Cowboys right now, just say he won’t be here for less than 38. That’s all it takes. Tell the Cowboys the number so they don’t waste time with offseason posturing, unsure where to begin or end negotiations. They should go to the Cowboys now and say, “This is our starting number or we’re gone,” so the team can look into trades, which, by the way, he hasn’t received a single offer for, and that’s the point.

Don't say nobody wants to pay two first and that's why they don't have an offer because all they had to do is make any offer because the Cowboys can turn it down but that doesn't mean you shouldn't make an offer that's less than 2 1st and see where that's at,

I think they're more scared of George Pickens turning back into Pittsburgh Pickens, yes, I just made that up it rhymes, it flows.

Pittsburgh Pickens, they may not want to pay him anywhere close to JSN.

 

[thunderpimp91]

You’re paying now to not have dead money after the player is gone.


That’s the case for any team paying any player top money.

The good news for Dallas is that they’re not locked in long term if things do go south. Or if the player suffers a significant injury.

Dead money isn't necessarily a bad thing though. It certainly can be, but often times it's not. Its the extreme situations that you want to avoid, unless you're a true rebuild team like Miami is currently doing.

Just a made up overly simple example, but If I save on average $15M against the cap in both 2026 and 2027 by extending a player I can roll over up to $30m in cap to 2028. If a player is underperforming and I have to take a $20m hit to let that player go once I have a realistic out I'm still up $10m from the rollover money. Even if I spend part of the money saved in 2026 & 2027 its possible I can still break even or close to it while upgrading other roster spots in the process.

Franchise tags are typically bad for all involved except for the owners pocket. It allows the owners to give the impression they are spending big bucks on the roster while it really just eats cap space so they can avoid being more aggressive in free agency. Its the Jones playbook they've used for years now with star players and even cheaper players to exploit the cash spend amounts while generally paying less out of pocket than most other franchises.

 

[Reid1boys]

Nope. As always. This FO waited too long.

once again, you all fail to recognize the FACT that you cant sign the contract yourself. Pickens, like Dak did, was betting on himself. He said from day 1 and all through last season he was letting the season play out before doing a deal. His agent was NEVER letting hi sign a deal early.

 

[Reid1boys]

That’s just your opinion, not necessarily the truth. If the franchise tag was set before JSN, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s neither JSN nor Lamb. He hasn’t proven he can put up that kind of season on his own, especially in an offense with no protection to pull coverage. You can’t compare his market to JSN’s, just like Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins, their deals are far apart at least enough to worth keeping both, same with Brown/smith. Guys like Higgins or Smith are complementary players; even if they can be starters, it doesn’t matter how he or Pickens sees himself.

On a team like the Cowboys, you can’t expect top five money if you’re not that guy. If that’s the expectation, then play under the tag and leave, or let the Cowboys draft a receiver and trade him.


We’ve been talking about this way too much all offseason. Thinking he’s on the market and trying to get in his head is the wrong approach. He’d have to leave the team and make his demands clear to the Cowboys right now, just say he won’t be here for less than 38. That’s all it takes. Tell the Cowboys the number so they don’t waste time with offseason posturing, unsure where to begin or end negotiations. They should go to the Cowboys now and say, “This is our starting number or we’re gone,” so the team can look into trades, which, by the way, he hasn’t received a single offer for, and that’s the point.

Don't say nobody wants to pay two first and that's why they don't have an offer because all they had to do is make any offer because the Cowboys can turn it down but that doesn't mean you shouldn't make an offer that's less than 2 1st and see where that's at,

I think they're more scared of George Pickens turning back into Pittsburgh Pickens, yes, I just made that up it rhymes, it flows.

Pittsburgh Pickens, they may not want to pay him anywhere close to JSN.

He more than proved what he can do on his own. Hell, if he didnt have Lamb opposite him, he would have 115 catches, 15 tds and 1700 yards. He was the best wr in football when Lamb was out. In any event, Im not coming back here to start arguing about his worth. I dont give a damn. Ill let all you experts argue about it. im just damn happy we have Lamb and Pickens on the team.

 

[LouBrown]

How long before CD feels disrespected? My guess is not long if GP is making anything close to his pay.

CD is going to get paid again after the 2027 season anyway. He doesn't care about making less for one year.

These players and their agents also aren't stupid. They understand that contract value is driven by cap, so lesser players make more all the time.

 

[blueblood70]

once again, you all fail to recognize the FACT that you cant sign the contract yourself. Pickens, like Dak did, was betting on himself. He said from day 1 and all through last season he was letting the season play out before doing a deal. His agent was NEVER letting hi sign a deal early.

Some fans think they know the situation, but they really don’t. Many believe Jerry wants to overpay for players as part of some master plan, but that’s just not true. No billionaire I know has gotten to where they are by overpaying, they’re masters of negotiation, even if they lose occasionally.

There’s no way Jerry hasn’t thought these things through, especially with an entire front office team, practically an army, dedicated to contracts and the salary cap.

Some fans seem to think they haven’t tried locking players in early, but they know exactly where players’ heads are at. Lowball offers won’t work if the player and agent feel they have leverage, and they’ll use it to push the front office. I can’t fault them for trying, but I’m not going to blame Jerry for not getting deals done early.

They’ve done it before, like when they offered Brandon Aubrey a new contract last September, but no one gives them credit for that.

In this case, they basically agreed on the same deal, so it wasn’t far off and worked out for both sides. But just because it worked here doesn’t mean they can pull that off with every player. Around 90% of their signings have been done on time or early, and for the most part, it’s backfired on them… lol. Sometimes you have to play hardball. As for George Pickens, like I’ve said before in this thread — and we’ve talked about him all offseason,

I hope they’ve already told the Cowboys, “We’re not signing for less than,” then thrown out a number like 38.

That way, the Cowboys know right away they should look to the draft and try to trade him. Even if they can’t find a trade partner, at least they’d know he doesn’t want to be there and won’t be. You’ve got to try to get maximum draft capital , maybe not two first-rounders, but you can push for a first and a second, or a first and a third.

Put those offers out there and see if another team bites.

But here we are once again with a fan base like Phil and some of the other guys who really believe they know what's in the players and agents minds and don't realize that the rest of the league is already spoken just like Brandon Aubrey there wasn't a single offer They're saying this they're not worth what they believe themselves are demanding..

It’s pretty telling that George Pickens hasn’t received a single offer. Even if it wasn’t for two first-round picks, teams know they can make any offer, maybe a fifth or a third, or at least a first, or even a first and a third. The fact there’s been no offer at all suggests no team is willing to pay him what he’s asking right now. He can’t become a true free agent unless he forces his way off the team, and the Cowboys could tag him for two straight years.

The best move for both sides might be to agree now to play on the tag if they can’t settle on something like $38 million, or whatever the number ends up being.

That way, the Cowboys can head into the draft knowing whether they need to pick a receiver, while also making an effort to trade him during the draft. It doesn’t have to happen, but at least it would put them ahead of schedule, unlike with Parsons, when they thought they’d keep him, but things fell apart.

To get ahead this time, they should go into the draft sending out feelers and seeing if they can find a trade partner willing to give them as much as possible.

 

[thunderpimp91]

He more than proved what he can do on his own. Hell, if he didnt have Lamb opposite him, he would have 115 catches, 15 tds and 1700 yards. He was the best wr in football when Lamb was out. In any event, Im not coming back here to start arguing about his worth. I dont give a damn. Ill let all you experts argue about it. im just damn happy we have Lamb and Pickens on the team.

Agreed. We can argue his other issues, but talent isn't one of them. Even in Pittsburgh his counting stats weren't as good as in Dallas, but his deeper metrics were nearly just as good as he put up with the Cowboys. Hes a legit WR1 as long as his head is in a good place.

 

[phildadon86]

once again, you all fail to recognize the FACT that you cant sign the contract yourself. Pickens, like Dak did, was betting on himself. He said from day 1 and all through last season he was letting the season play out before doing a deal. His agent was NEVER letting hi sign a deal early.

I meant before JSN signed my friend.

 

[blueblood70]

He more than proved what he can do on his own. Hell, if he didnt have Lamb opposite him, he would have 115 catches, 15 tds and 1700 yards. He was the best wr in football when Lamb was out. In any event, Im not coming back here to start arguing about his worth. I dont give a damn. Ill let all you experts argue about it. im just damn happy we have Lamb and Pickens on the team.

That’s not how it works, you can’t project something like that until we actually see it happen. He hasn’t proven he can do it on his own. Show me 115 catches, 15 touchdowns, and 1,700 yards, and then I’ll agree he deserves that money.

Until then, it’s just projection, and it’s not true until it happens. We saw it with CeeDee Lamb, even though that offense was a mess, bad scheme, bad play calling, no real running game, no tight end, and no legitimate No. 2 receiver. Yet Prescott and Lamb still lit up the league. Don’t tell me it can happen, show me.

It’s strange to say it can’t happen but also admit it’s rare, which is exactly why it’s called a record.

Right now, CeeDee Lamb holds the all-time mark, just like DeMarco Murray did. Not Emmitt Smith, not Zeke, not Tony Dorsett. That was the year Murray proved he could carry a team. As a running back, he got lowballed here, went to Philadelphia, and unfortunately, that move ended up sinking his career.

The point is, until you show me, don’t talk, because that’s what you’re doing, speaking for him, making assumptions and projections, and that’s not how it works. If it did, then players like Saquon Barkley and others who had record years, but not with the Giants, wouldn’t need to prove themselves again the following season.

At least he showed it once, but don’t tell me he can just because he did it once; he still had to prove it before getting paid.

I get the point, but I’m not interested in projections or feelings, they don’t matter here.

That’s why some players never repeat those record years; they do it once in a contract year, which doesn’t say much, especially given the offense he was part of last year. He didn’t do it in Pittsburgh, and it’s not about the quarterback. I’ve watched Fitzgerald and other top receivers excel, I’ve seen Jefferson thrive with multiple and sometimes subpar quarterbacks, always surpassing 1,000 yards. Jamar Chase hasn’t dropped off much even when the backup is in.

I want to know what you really think he can do, because until you prove it, it’s all just talk. So, where are all these big offers? Supposedly, he’s the next JSN, yet there’s not a single offer; no picks, no money, nothing.

That says a lot. It seems the rest of the league feels the same way I do. Show me, and I’ll show you.