04/23/26 05:39:00
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04/23 17:37 CDT George Pickens is planning to sign $27.3 million franchise tag
with Cowboys, AP sources say
George Pickens is planning to sign $27.3 million franchise tag with Cowboys, AP
sources say
By SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Pro Football Writer
FRISCO, Texas (AP) --- Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens is planning to
sign the $27.3 million franchise tag after the club declared it wouldn't
negotiate a long-term contract this offseason, two people with knowledge of the
decision said Thursday.
Pickens has yet to sign the one-year, fully guaranteed contract but intends to
put the issue to rest as the Cowboys go into the NFL draft, the people told The
Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the signing isn't official.
The move by Pickens comes a day after executive vice president of personnel
Stephen Jones said the Cowboys planned for Pickens to play on the tag this
season. The sides would have had until July 15 to try to reach agreement on a
long-term deal.
By signing the agreement, Pickens can be fined for not showing up at mandatory
minicamp in June or for training camp in July. But getting under contract
allows the 25-year-old to participate in the offseason program, which starts
Monday.
Pickens, acquired last offseason in a trade with Pittsburgh, had career highs
in catches (93), yards receiving (1,429) and touchdowns (nine) for one of the
best offenses in the NFL last season. Dallas had one of the worst defenses in
the league and finished 7-9-1, missing the playoffs for the second year in a
row.
The 2022 second-round pick out of Georgia thrived alongside CeeDee Lamb, who is
going into the second year of a $136 million, four-year contract that currently
ranks him third among NFL receivers with an average annual value of $34 million.
There is incentive for Pickens to take the guaranteed money under the tag
because it's a huge payday compared to the total earnings of $6.8 million on
his four-year rookie deal.
Quarterback Dak Prescott and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence played a season
under the franchise tag within the past eight years for Dallas before reaching
long-term deals. Tight end Dalton Schultz and running back Tony Pollard also
played under the tag before leaving in free agency the next year.
Jones said the "newness" of Pickens' tenure with the Cowboys was a factor in
the decision to stick with a one-year deal for now and not a longer contract.
Pickens' talent was on display during three seasons with the Steelers, but so
were enough instances of petulant or indifferent behavior for then-coach Mike
Tomlin to question his maturity.
Brian Schottenheimer never took issue with Pickens publicly in his first season
as a head coach after a quarter-century as an NFL assistant. But Pickens and
Lamb were benched for the first series in Las Vegas after missing curfew
following a casino visit the night before the game.
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