Could the Cowboys still lose George Pickens after franchise tag? What the non-exclusive tag means
The Dallas Cowboys are using the non-exclusive franchise tag on George Pickens. How does it work?
The Dallas Cowboys announced they placed the franchise tag on George Pickens ahead of this year’s free agency frenzy. The news was largely expected, as even co-owner Stephen Jones revealed earlier in the week the front office was comfortable with using the tag.
The tag achieves two key things. Firstly, it secures Pickens’ rights through the 2026 season on what’s expected to be a $28 million one-year deal. The number will be finalized later in the year. It also gives the Cowboys and Pickens a new deadline for a long-term deal, July 15. If an extension isn’t signed by then, Pickens would need to play under the tag in 2026.
But a key detail emerged on Friday: The Cowboys are using the non-exclusive tag on Pickens, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. This means while Dallas holds the wide receiver’s rights, other teams will be allowed to talk to him once free agency begins.
Could the Cowboys lose Pickens?
The short answer is yes. They could. Fortunately for Dallas, it’s more complicated than that. Here’s how the non-exclusive tag works.
Pickens is indeed allowed to negotiate with other teams. However, the Cowboys hold the right of first refusal. That means if a front office successfully negotiates a deal with Pickens, the Cowboys would be free to match the offer and keep him in Dallas.
And here’s the kicker: If he Cowboys decide not to match the offer, they’d be entitled to two first-round picks in return, or “the equivalent” to it.
Would this happen?
While yes, on paper, another NFL team could negotiate a deal with Pickens, it’s highly unlikely to happen.
Put yourself on another GM’s shoes for a second.
Entering negotiations with Pickens’ camp would require a lot of effort, alongside a strong offer. Would you juggle all of your usual tasks like free agency, NFL Draft prep, and in-house extensions with trying to make a deal work when it would possibly be matched by the Cowboys? That’s like working for free.
Oh, and by the way, if the deal is ultimately executed, remember you need to give up two first-round picks. For a quarterback or even an edge rusher, it could make sense. But the Cowboys can rest easy knowing they likely won’t be threatened by other NFL teams.
However…
If the Cowboys aren’t interested in matching an offer from somebody else and instead seek to trade Pickens, they could negotiate the compensation.
In this scenario, however, the front office would be looking into a trade more than getting a long-term deal done.
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