What the Guaranteed George Pickens Contract Means for the Cowboys
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George Pickens signed his franchise tag. The receiver is now under contract with the Dallas Cowboys for one year and $27.3 million fully guaranteed, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Thursday.
The signing comes a day after the Cowboys announced at their pre-draft news conference that long-term extension negotiations were finished for now. At that point, Pickens had yet to put pen to paper.
With the tag signed, Pickens is now eligible to participate in voluntary workouts starting next week at The Star in Frisco.
Dallas placed the nonexclusive franchise tag on Pickens in March following his first and breakout season with the team. He set career highs in catches (93), receiving yards (1,429), and touchdowns (nine) in 2025.
A one-year deal that sets Pickens up for a major 2027 decision
Stephen Jones explained the reasoning Wednesday, pointing to both financial constraints and the early stage of the team’s relationship with Pickens.
#Cowboys WR George Pickens is now under contract for one year and $27.3M fully guaranteed. He’ll play it out with the chance to cash in during the 2027 offseason. https://t.co/Czb4r9wTvz
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 23, 2026
“We’ve made a decision that we’re going to have George play under the franchise tag, which won’t be a first for us,” Jones told reporters. “So there won’t be negotiations on a long-term deal.”
Dak Prescott is under contract at $60 million annually, the highest in NFL history for a quarterback. CeeDee Lamb is at $34 million per year. Layering a top-of-market receiver contract on top of that was always going to be a tight fit.
