Yep, right move. He needs to prove he isn’t an off the field problem, and being the age he is, he can certainly survive one year on a tag and get the bag…if he also behaves.
If they try to tag him again, and aren’t offering him a fair deal, then I’ll side with him.
For now this works for both sides, and even if he is only here for this season, the two we got out of him was well worth the cost.
I’m figuring they will draft a WR in the first that’s ready to be a 2 immediately, and the Pickens money can be allocated elsewhere. If this is/was the overall plan, I fully agree and it was a good one. That within itself is rare.
I said all along the moment he signed the franchise tag contract it was clear he would be at mandatory practices especially with the Cowboys stating publicly/clearly that they don't plan to offer him a new contract this year.
It's a huge raise for Pickens and the money he will make in next year's contract will be higher than what he would have gotten this year while even covering the difference between the franchise tag rate and the average annual salary his new contract will have.
I fully expected him to be fine with the franchise tag this year, but I firmly believe he won't be next year, nor should he.
Next year the leverage will shift back to his side (rolling 5-year average surges next year for receiver) and he and his agent should and will use it.
If he has another great year though then he will deserve a 4-5 year contract offer either from the Cowboys or another team.
People let the media drive the narrative about Pickens despite the fact he came in, practiced and played hard, helped the team win games it would have not won without him and did his job.
Then this off-season, despite the media's constant attention on his contract and the media instigating a lot of negativity in fans toward his situation by making predictions, claims, etc. that never happened nor would end up happening, he's handled everything better than most players would have.
I'm not a Pickens fan or hater, but you have to respect the way he has handled himself on and off the field since he got here.
If both of those things continue in 2026, he deserves that huge contract he will get next year whether that's with the Cowboys or another team willing to commit to him.