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George Pickens #3 of the Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys continue to operate under the assumption that, by following the letter of NFL contract law in the last few weeks and putting forth the franchise tag offer to star receiver George Pickens, the team has fulfilled its obligation to keep Pickens in the fold for 2026. Dallas made the offer of one year and $27 million comfortably before the deadline for tags, indicating that the franchise was reasonably certain that was the contract Pickens would be playing under next season.

And indeed, the Cowboys have the greater leverage in the situation. Pickens can hold out, and his potentially lengthy absence from the team could hurt Dallas’s chances to contend next season. But that’s really the only damage he can do to the franchise. The Cowboys, meanwhile, can simply hold their offer at the franchise tag, and let Pickens either take it or lose game checks if he sits out into the season.

That would be a squandered opportunity on both sides.  But a hold out appears inevitable–it just is a matter of how long Pickens sits out.

Cowboys and George Pickens Have a Simple Problem

The crux of the problem is simple. Pickens caught 93 passes for 1,429 yards last season, third-most in the NFL for yardage. He’d like to be paid like one of the best receivers in the game, and probably in the neighborhood of Cowboys teammate CeeDee Lamb, who gets an average of $34 million per year.

But the Cowboys also see that, before he was traded to Dallas last spring, Pickens was an underachiever in Pittsburgh, and there is some fear that he could backslide if given a lucrative new contract. The Cowboys want to see Pickens produce again before they pay him long-term.

Schefter ‘Skeptical’ on George Pickens Extension

ESPN insider Adam Schefter said on Thursday in an appearances on  “The Pat McAfee Show” that both sides are dug in, making a resolution that much harder.

“I’m skeptical that there’s going to be an extension,” Schefter said. “It’s early, it’s April 2.  But George Pickens is not allowed to be in that building unless he signs the franchise tender. He’s not gonna sign that franchise tender without their being a long term deal.. I don’t see a long term deal coming into focus until right before the deadline, which would be in the middle of July.

“Which tells you that there’s a real probability that George Pickens will not be there for the offseason program. If the two sides can figure out a long-term deal, which I think is going to be very difficult, then that’s great. And good for both sides, they both get what they want.”

Cowboys Bracing for Unpredictable Summer

Schefter went on to say that the Cowboys and Pickens have not spoken about a new deal, and as long as that is the case, Pickens has zero incentive to show up for team activities, even for scrimmages. Expect him to be a no-show, then.

Schefter continued: “I think it is more likely than not that we won’t. Now, there is a possibility that we won’t see George Pickens until who knows when in the summer? He can come in a week late, two weeks late, right before the start of the season—he is under no obligation, he won’t be fined for missing camp because he hasn’t signed anything. If they don’t get a long-term deal and he hasn’t signed that franchise tender.

“I just think it is set up right now to be a very tricky, challenging situation for both sides.”

Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney