FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys are like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get.
Owner/general manager Jerry Jones, COO/EVP Stephen Jones, head coach Brian Schottenheimer and vice president of player personnel Will McClay met with local media to discuss the 2026 NFL Draft, but their pre-draft press conference ended up being sidetracked by two surprises.
One was the arrival of former United States President Bill Clinton to come hang out with Jerry Jones. The other was that the Cowboys have already shut down long-term contract negotiations with Pro Bowl wide receiver George Pickens three months ahead of the July 15 deadline to come to terms on a long-term contract extension.
Pickens, who is 25 years old and entering his fifth NFL season in 2026, will be playing out the coming season on the franchise tag, which will pay him a cool $27.3 million fully guaranteed. CBS Sports Lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones revealed Thursday that Pickens is signing his franchise tag, which now allows for him to be traded if that’s the route Dallas decides to go on with him.
After Dallas were pleasantly surprised by Pickens letting them know Thursday evening that he will sign the franchise tag, the Cowboys reaffirmed their commitment to retaining the star wide receiver in 2026.
“Nothing [has changed]. We have no intention of moving George,” Stephen Jones stated Thursday night after the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft concluded. “Obviously in our mind, we’re fired up about it, and he’s ready to come in here and sign his tender. In our mind, that means go to work. Now, we’ll see, but so far everything’s been outstanding. Our communication with George, Coach Schottenheimer and Jerry, our communication with David Mulugheta has been very cordial and upbeat. … We have zero intention of moving George Pickens.”
Dallas didn’t rule out extending Pickens in the future, citing how quarterback Dak Prescott was tagged twice before re-signing on a long-term deal, but that’s now a conversation for 2027. They did also bring up situations where the franchise tag didn’t yield a long-term contract extension like in the case of running back Tony Pollard. Dallas let him walk in free agency the following year, and he departed for the Tennessee Titans.
“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. So there won’t be negotiations on a long-term deal,” Stephen Jones stated Wednesday. “But that’s certainly not a first for this organization and certainly won’t be a first in the league in terms of this decision as we move forward. Whether it’s Dak Prescott, who played under one and got tagged a second time. Whether it’s DLaw. Whether it’s Tony Pollard, we’ve certainly had those situations.”
Pickens and his agent David Mulugheta were informed of this news directly from Jerry and Stephen Jones, but it’s safe to say they didn’t appreciate the team tabling extension talks for the year. The Jones family spoke directly to Mulugheta while Jerry Jones and Schottenheimer met directly with Pickens to inform him of their decision.
“I don’t think that’s [describing Pickens’ and Mulugheta’s reaction] productive to get into right now,” Stephen Jones stated.
“It was good,” Schottenheimer stated of his meeting with Pickens. “The thing that George knows about Jerry and myself is we’re very upfront and we’re honest. We had great conversation. We informed him. We think that’s important because that’s the way we handle all of our players and coaches.”
Pickens exceeded all expectations Dallas had for him after trading a third-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a trade last May. He erupted for the third-most receiving yards in the NFL with 1,429 while ranking top 10 in the league in numerous receiving categories in his first season playing alongside quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
“We’re so fired up to have George on this football team. Obviously he’s been here for a year. We gave up a third-round pick for him and certainly he’s made tremendous progress in the year he’s been here,” Stephen Jones stated. “I think he’d be the first to tell you this is a great situation for him, playing with CeeDee and Dak and in Coach Schottenheimer’s offense. He loves Coach Schottenheimer and what he brings to the table. But certainly a conscious decision that we’ve made.”
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Catches
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93
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8th
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Receiving yards
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1,429
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3rd
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Yards per catch
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15.4
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5th
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Receiving TD
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9
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T-8th
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Receiving first downs
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73
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T-3rd
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Catches of 25-plus yards
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13
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T-4th
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Pickens’ offseason program participation
Just as Pickens has no assurance of a long-term deal with Dallas after being told he will play out the 2026 season on the franchise tag, the Cowboys don’t know whether he will participate in the team’s offseason program before training camp. That’s because Pickens has yet to officially sign his franchise tag offer sheet, so the team cannot currently mandate his participation or fine him for nonparticipation.
“No assurances. Just like there are no assurances on other players. That’s why it’s the offseason, and it’s voluntary,” Stephen Jones stated. “It just turns out that we’ve been very fortunate over the years that people love to make their homes here in Dallas and for the most part, we have great attendance on our voluntary programs. We have no assurances.”
However, Schottenheimer is aware of Pickens spending time with Prescott to work out and throw together this offseason, which is why he isn’t incredibly concerned about the wide receiver’s offseason program attendance.
“He loves it here. And you guys will get a chance to talk to him. We’re thrilled with what he did. We’re looking forward to another great year,” Schottenheimer stated. “What was really cool for me in our conversations with him was him talking about taking the next step as a leader. … The influence that he has on this locker room is very powerful because he loves playing football so much. And that’s what we love about George. But I will reach out and talk to him. But again, it’s all voluntary and guys will be in and out for different reasons.”
