Do the Dallas Cowboys genuinely have ‘long-term plans’ for George Pickens? What Jerry Jones’ message really means
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says the Dallas Cowboys have long-term plans for wide receiver George Pickens. But what those look like is the biggest mystery ahead of the 2026 season.
If you thought the Dallas Cowboys would reveal anything new on the George Pickens front at the NFL Owner Meetings, you were sadly mistaken.
And yet, one comment from owner and general manager Jerry Jones has made headlines over the past 24 hours or so: “We have long term plans for George Pickens.”
That message alone has many hoping a long-term deal gets done. But is that what it really means? I think not. Let’s break it down.
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Long-term plans doesn’t translate to extension now
Yes, it is noteworthy that the Cowboys keep insisting they want Pickens for the long haul. Especially on the heels of the Micah Parsons trade—which was preceded by rumblings about mixed feelings regarding his attitude in the building.
Despite the concerns on Pickens’ behavior in his Pittsburgh Steelers days, the Cowboys appear confident that isn’t a problem in Dallas.
That matters.
However, Jerry wanting George around for a long time doesn’t necessarily mean they’re in the same page in negotiations for a multi-year. And it’s the owner’s comments on the franchise tag could reveal their playbook—and their vision of a “long-term” plan for Pickens.
Multiple tags for Pickens ahead?
If the Cowboys using the franchise tag on Dak Prescott in consecutive years wasn’t proof enough that they don’t view it as something to fear, Jones left no doubt about it on Tuesday.
“The franchise tag is an integral part of all teams,” Jones told reporters. “But certainly an integral part of our strategy over the next two or three years as we look at how to keep the best players we can have relative to the cap.”
If the tag is a part of their vision in the next few years, an important question is for whom?
A quick glance at the Cowboys roster suggests Pickens is the top candidate for the tag “over the next two years.” Sure, they could use it on kicker Brandon Aubrey, but it’s much easier to strike a deal at the top of the kicker market than it is at wide receiver.
Here’s why the Cowboys could be motivated to use the tag on Pickens: If they were to tag the wide receiver in consecutive years, they’d be paying him at $30 million per year. That average would rank him below seven wide receivers today.
With multiple top receivers like Jaxon Smith-Njigba signing extensions with around $33-35 million per year in new money, that’s a good deal. Sure, the tag is tough on the salary cap but it’s not like the Cowboys are ever big spenders in free agency anyways.
That is to say, the Cowboys’ long-term vision for Pickens could indeed be keeping him around. But it doesn’t indicate it has to be through a long-term deal. At least over the next couple of years, it’s likely they turn to the tag.
With that being said, if they allow Pickens to play under the tag in 2026 and 2027, the receiver will hold all the leverage come 2028 as long as he continues to ball out—and if it comes to that, it will be nearly impossible to extend him to a long-term deal unless they hand him a blank check for him to write any number that comes to mind.
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