George Pickens rumor points to Cowboys making colossal offseason mistake

The expectation is the Dallas Cowboys are going to use the franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens, but where the team goes from there remains to be seen.

The Cowboys could opt to use the franchise tag as a placeholder until they hammer out a long-term deal, or Dallas could turn around and trade Pickens to ensure they receive a draft pick for his departure.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that a tag-and-trade scenario is on the table for Dallas, but CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones is hearing that Pickens is going to remain in Dallas one way or the other in 2026.

"The Cowboys tagging George Pickens has been understood since the final quarter of the regular season. It will cost Dallas about $28 million, and the two sides can work to hammer out a long-term deal. There is always a chance the Cowboys tag Pickens with the intent to trade him, but sources believe he will be playing in Dallas in 2026," Jones said.

Keeping Pickens in any form, whether that be on a long-term deal or the franchise tag, would be a colossal mistake by the Cowboys.

Dallas is already in the hole in terms of cap space, with the team being $29.1 million over the cap before the new league year hits.

The Cowboys' top priority this year is improving the defense, not keeping Pickens. Utilizing what little resources they have to pay the mercurial wideout will make it much more difficult to attack that top priority.

Furthermore, the Cowboys need to be seriously concerned about Pickens reverting back to the problem he was during his days with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pickens was considered on his best behavior in 2025, yet he still managed to get himself benched, and there were even concerns about his effort in some games.

If the Cowboys think he's going to get better with a fatter wallet, they're kidding themselves. It's more likely Pickens becomes more of a problem once he gets paid.

The most sound approach is tagging Pickens and trading him away to the highest bidder. We would even rather the Cowboys let him walk in free agency than keep him.

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