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Dallas Cowboys WR George Pickens will reportedly play on the franchise tag this season

Dallas Cowboys fans hoping for some good news regarding wide receiver George Pickens’ contract extension woke up to some sorely disappointing news on Wednesday.

The Cowboys and Pickens have been engaged in negotiations for months but haven’t seemed to make any progress toward a new deal after the team placed the franchise tag on the 25-year-old wideout.

Pickens hasn’t been shy about wanting to get paid, but the Cowboys may be hesitant to fork over the kind of money he’s looking for. Spotrac currently projects Pickens’ market value at $30.6 million per year. That would put him in the top 10 highest-paid WRs in the NFL, and Dallas would be on the hook for paying the fourth- and eighth-highest paid receivers in the league.

Cowboys Don’t Seem Concerned With Giving Pickens an Extension

GettyDallas Cowboys WR George Pickens

ESPN’s Adam Schefter delivered some hard-to-hear news to Cowboys fans just 24 hours before the 2026 NFL draft that could factor into the team’s draft strategy.

“They’re nowhere with George Pickens right now,” Schefter said on “Get Up” on Wednesday morning. “Nowhere with George Pickens. They’re not really talking about an extension, they’re not close to an extension, they’re not getting a deal done at this point and time. He’s on the franchise tag — that situation is just sitting out there.”

Just hours after his “Get Up” appearance, Schefter tweeted even more bad news on Pickens’ future, courtesy of executive vice president Stephen Jones, Jerry’s son.

“Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones told reporters today that they’ve decided WR George Pickens will play on the franchise tag this season, and there won’t be talks on a long-term deal,” Schefter reported. “Pickens has not signed the tag yet.”

The news from Jones may not come as a surprise to some, especially after Jerry’s negotiation with Parsons last year blew up in his face too. Pickens and Parsons have the same agent, David Mulugheta.

What This Means for Cowboys’ Draft Strategy

GettyArizona State WR Jordyn Tyson

Going into Thursday’s draft, the Cowboys have the No. 12 and 20 overall picks.

They’ve been speculated to be moving up to target defense, but if the Cowboys don’t expect Pickens to be in Dallas long-term, they could pivot to wide receiver with their first Round 1 pick, which is a scenario Schefter proposed as well.

“The Cowboys are said to really like Jordyn Tyson, so it’s just one more subplot in a draft filled with them entering Thursday night,” Schefter added.

A two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection, Tyson is considered by many scouts to be the No. 1 WR in the draft class. He caught 61 passes for 711 yards and 8 touchdowns last season, and he posted 1,100 yards the season before.

It could be valuable for Tyson to sit for a year behind Pickens and CeeDee Lamb and slide into Pickens’ spot the season after.

Ohio State’s Carnell Tate has been projected to go to either the Washington Commanders or New Orleans Saints is most mock draft, which would leave Tyson available for Dallas at pick No. 12.