Jerry Jones reveals Dallas Cowboys long-term plans for George Pickens

In late February, the Dallas Cowboys placed their franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens, ensuring he remains with the team for the 2026-27 season. On Tuesday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones revealed whether the franchise plans on signing Pickens to a long-term contract in the future.

“I don’t know. The franchise tag has an automatic time frame on it,” Jones said. “It’s my plan and thought that all of us will be working within the timeframe of the conditions of the franchise tag. So, it should play itself out is the best way for me to say it. Make no mistake about it, we have long-term plans in mind for Pickens.”

Due to the franchise tag, the Cowboys will owe Pickens approximately $28 million in the upcoming season. Pickens was traded to the Cowboys last offseason after spending the first three seasons of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He was spectacular in his debut campaign with the Cowboys, recording 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns this past season. Pickens’ 1,429 receiving yards were the third-most in the NFL.

Some fans were concerned about Pickens’ disciplinary issues before the question of a franchise tag emerged. While with the Steelers in the 2024 campaign, George Pickens received two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the Steelers’ 44-38 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

In the same game, he punted a ball into the stands after scoring a touchdown. In the prior week, Pickens was involved in a scuffle with Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II during a Hail Mary attempt.

Though Pickens largely avoided on-field issues last season, he reportedly struggled with punctuality at times. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith believes the Cowboys made a mistake by placing their franchise tag on Pickens.

“It’s gonna be a huge mistake, it’s a huge mistake,” Smith said. “Here’s why, because it’s inviting more drama. It’s ensuring that the Dallas Cowboys are going to do what they do better than anybody in the National Football League, win in terms of the quantity of headlines, but not necessarily on the football field.”

The Cowboys already made offseason headlines Monday when head coach Brian Scottenheimer said he was unsure if Pickens will be at the team’s offseason program. Schottenheimer also commented on Pickens’ future with the organization.

“Hey look, GP loves it here. We love GP,” Schottenheimer said. “We have plans for GP to be here for a long time, so we’ll let the business side of this thing play out and see where it goes.”