George Pickens might receive the franchise tag from the Dallas Cowboys, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the standout wide receiver will still be with the team in 2026.
While the Cowboys are expected to give Pickens the franchise tag, there’s a possibility that Dallas might trade him, NFL Media reported Sunday.
Pickens, who turns 25 in March, is set to become a free agent after a breakout season in his first year with the Cowboys. He was eighth in the league in receptions (93), third in receiving yards (1,429) and tied for eighth in receiving touchdowns (nine). He was named to the Pro Bowl and earned second-team All-Pro honors.
Pickens will likely be one of the best players in this free agency class, putting him in line for a major payday. Franchise tag values for next season haven’t been announced yet, but for a wide receiver, the value will be roughly $28.8 million, per Over the Cap. That figure would be fully guaranteed.
Receiving the franchise tag wouldn’t prevent Pickens from signing with another team. If he gets tagged, however, the signing team would have to give the Cowboys two first-round picks.
That’s why tag-and-trade scenarios are more common. One of the more recent examples involving a standout wide receiver took place in 2022, when the Green Bay Packers franchise-tagged Davante Adams before trading him to the Las Vegas Raiders for a first- and second-round pick.
The window for teams to use their franchise tag opens on Feb. 17 and closes on March 3. Free agency is set to begin on March 9.
