With all of the rumors swirling over the future of Pickens, the receiver has now signed his franchise tag.
The Dallas Cowboys' contract saga with Pro Bowl receiver George Pickens has taken another turn, but this time it's a good one for the fans.
According to several reports, Pickens has signed his franchise tag and will now earn $27.3 million for the 2026 season.
With rumors and reports swirling that Pickens wanted a trade (turned out to be false) and the Cowboys not negotiating with George, wanting him to play on the tag, there were so many people who didn't want No. 3 to sign the tag.
Well, now he has, and it ends a part of this saga for the time being.
Now that Pickens has signed his tag, he can still be traded to another team, but there is another thread to pull here with George now locked in for 2026.
He wants to be a Cowboy, and is fine signing the tag.
Of course, this won't stop fans and the media from linking Pickens to a move away from The Star, despite COO Stephen Jones repeatedly making it clear that the franchise has no intention of trading George.
But fans heard that with Micah Parsons last season...
Still, this is a piece of good news for fans and the Cowboys as Pickens now has to show up for offseason workouts or be at risk of getting fined.
So, the Cowboys can now expect Pickens to begin showing up once the mandatory part of the offseason program begins. Just don't expect him to show up at OTAs, folks.
With Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and now Pickens, the Cowboys offense is once again set to be one of the best units in football, provided George isn't moved on Parsons-style.
Granted, just because Pickens has signed his tag, that won't stop fans and the national media from continuing to think George will be traded, unless he gets a long-term deal.
That is the price you pay when you franchise tag a star player, as most don't like playing on the tag, although Dak has done it multiple times.
So, Pickens is, at this point, locked in for the 2026 season, as Brian Schottenheimer's offense appears to be running it back, which will please fans.
But there is still likely a section of Dallas fans who will think a trade could be coming any minute. The only way to halt those rumors and thoughts is to sign Pickens to a long-term deal.
However right now, Pickens has signed his tag, which is positive movement for a change.