It turns out the reason we’ve all been told about why Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens didn’t sign his franchise tag when he said he would may not have been totally accurate. Sort of accurate, but not totally.
It turns out that Pickens and his team of advisors went out on their own to try and gauge the trade market 1st, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Sunday.
So, when everyone was told Pickens had “other things on his mind” during the NFL draft weekend — when it was 1st reported he was going to sign — those other things included trying to find a new team.
“Well, my understanding is Pickens at least looked around, gauged his market what a potential trade could look like if he could come to one with compensation and a new deal,” Fowler said on SportsCenter. “He wants a long-term contract, so this isn’t an ideal situation for him. But he signed the tag because it locked him into $27 million guaranteed … it sounds like he’s going to have to do one more year to get that big payday down the road.”
One thing Pickens may have underestimated in his fact-finding mission – the power and reach of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
Most teams would be loathe to cross Jones, and negotiating a trade with 1 of his superstar players without him in the mix might sour relations with 1 of the most powerful people in professional sports — whether he’d given Pickens his blessing to try and do so or not.
George Pickens Delayed Signing Franchise Tag
According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, Pickens officially signed on Wednesday for the franchise tag, which will pay him just a smidge over $27 million in 2026.
Through his 1st 4 seasons, Pickens has just $8.7 million in career earnings — minus $219,000 for over a dozen fines ranging from obscene gestures to fighting to displaying a personal message on the tape under his eyes.
“George Pickens has signed the franchise tag, according to a source,” Archer wrote on his X account. “The signing of the tender guarantees Pickens $27.3 million for this season. It gives him injury protection as well. Yes, theoretically, it opens up the possibility of a trade, but Stephen Jones said the Cowboys have no intention of dealing him.”
Pickens’ actual signing of the franchise tag ended a week in which the mercurial wide receiver was widely reported to have already signed the franchise tag and left some of the most respected insiders in professional football with egg on their faces.
“What was expected last week now is official: George Pickens is now under contract,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on Wednesday.
Confusion Started Right Before NFL Draft
The confusion about whether or not Pickens had actually signed his franchise tag started on the eve of the 2026 NFL draft.
“Cowboys WR George Pickens is now under contract for one year and $27.3M fully guaranteed,” NFL Network Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account on April 24, which was the 1st day of the draft. “He’ll play it out with the chance to cash in during the 2027 offseason.”
Pickens had career highs of 93 receptions for 1,249 yards and 9 touchdowns in 2025 after the Pittsburgh Steelers traded him to the Cowboys for a 3rd round pick before the season.
Report: Cowboys WR George Pickens Sought Trade Partners Before Signing Franchise Tag