George Pickens had a breakout season for the Dallas Cowboys in 2025.

He fit in with the offense immediately after being traded to Dallas by the Pittsburgh Steelers and led the team in every major receiving category. Pickens finished the season with 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, all of which were career highs.

He’s now scheduled for free agency, and the Cowboys have made it no secret they want him back. The only question is whether he will sign a long-term deal or get the franchise tag.

Most predictions have Dallas using the tag to keep him in town. Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport is among those who believe the tag will happen, saying he’s the most obvious candidate to receive the tag this offseason. Davenport also believes the tag might be more appealing to the front office since they’re already paying CeeDee Lamb $34 million annually.

“However, inking Pickens to a massive long-term deal isn’t necessarily a slam-dunk. The Cowboys are already paying CeeDee Lamb $34 million a season. Pickens’ three seasons with the Steelers featured no shortage of highs and lows. And Dallas is perennially in salary cap purgatory—the team currently sits almost $40 million over the projected salary cap,” Davenport wrote.

“Those cap issues make using the tag difficult. But depending on what sort of deal Pickens is looking for, a projected tag of $28 million and change may become a more appealing option than another long-term deal for a receiver averaging well over $30 million a season.”

Will George Pickens sign the franchise tag?

The use of the tag will allow the Cowboys to keep Pickens from entering free agency, but it doesn’t mean everything will run smoothly. There’s a chance Pickens refuses to sign the deal, which would put pressure on Jerry Jones to work out an extension.

Considering how well he played this past season, it might be in Pickens’ best interest to cash in now, rather than risk his numbers going down in 2026.