Cowboys secure star receiver George Pickens with franchise tag. Will this contract leverage lead to a long-term deal or a contentious exit?
FRISCO - Believe me, I understand the headline-drawing allure to George Pickens. He’s a colorful. And “controversial.’’ And he’s a Cowboy.
Those are “The Three C’s’’ to justify headline-drawing allure, right?
The Dallas Cowboys know they have a star player on their hands in George Pickens, but and the problem all long was that he’s going to be expensive to keep around.
Of course, we know the Cowboys can create the cap space (if they choose) to let him play on the $28 million franchise tag in 2026. … and now, just ahead of the March 3 deadline to do so, they have indeed tagged the star wideout.
I still believe a long-term deal is the best way for Dallas to keep Pickens on the roster - and to keep him happy - while also getting added help to improve the defense.
How so? Because the tag will count $28 mil against the cap, while a long-term deal (let’s say four years and between $30 mil and $32 mil APY) can be spread out over the length of the deal to lessen the cap impact - maybe in 2026 lower than $10 mil.
There are a host of scenarios we have heard thrown around over the past month regarding George’s future.
There’s been the long-term deal, and the franchise tag, and the “just let him walk’’ and the tag-and-trade.
There are challenges with every path. But I’d like to dispel the myth that the tag is some sort of “punishment.’’ So, here goes …
First, if the players don’t like it, their union should not have agreed to its implementation in 1993.
Second, guys don’t get rich right away. But in Dallas? They do generally eventually get rich off of it.
A look at the Cowboys’ franchise tag history … for people who think it’s more ‘Weapon’ than ‘Tool’ …
2002 - Flozell Adams: He played under the $4.9 mil tag but then got a five-year, $25.5 million deal the following season … and he earned a third contract in 2008 worth $43.8 million over the next six years. No “punishment’’ there.
2008 - Ken Hamlin: The Cowboys placed the tag on him in 2008 as a placeholder as they ended up signing him to a six-year, $37.5 million deal at the July 15th deadline. No “punishment’’ there.
2012 - Anthony Spencer: He made $8.8 mil for the year, fully guaranteed.
2013 - Spencer again: He made $10.6 mil more even though he got hurt and basically missed the entire season. A two-year fortune at the time.
2015 - Dez Bryant: This one went down to the July 15 wire but Dez “won,’’ getting a five-year, $70 million deal.
2018 - DeMarcus Lawrence: He got $17 million guaranteed.
2019 - Lawrence again: He got tagged at $20 mil before working out a blockbuster $105 million deal.
2020 - Dak Prescott: The $31.4 million under the tag for Prescott was the largest salary in Cowboys team history.
2021 - Prescott again: A second consecutive franchise tag turned into a four-year, $160 million contract extension in March. … and he’s remained since then the highest-paid player in NFL history.
2022 - Dalton Schultz: He got a guaranteed sum of $10.9 million.
2023 - Tony Pollard: The 2023 franchise tender for a running back was worth $10.09 million.
In that group, by my measure, everybody came away happy, healthy and rich.
So … where’s this “punishment’’ everybody keeps yammering about?
If Pickens wants a long-term deal, maybe he compromises a bit. Or maybe the Cowboys cave, as they often do. Or, maybe, like Spencer, Dak and Lawrence, he gets tagged twice.
If that happens here for Pickens? That’ll be $60 million guaranteed over the two seasons.
There can be issues of drama and there will be debates about “leverage.’’ There can be holdouts and threats and unlimited nonsense, including the idea that Pickens "deserves market value'' at $40 million APY.
But there is nothing “unfair’’ about a team’s use of the tag.
But either way anyone chooses to look at it, barring some impossible-to-envision disaster, the Cowboys are doing the right thing here. Pickens is essentially locked into being a Cowboy in 2026. … and is locked in to making a fortune while doing it.