Le'Veon Bell shares cautionary tale and advice for George Pickens facing franchise tag dilemma. Will history repeat itself?
The future of Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens continues to be a topic of much debate.
The Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Pickens, which, if a long-term deal isn't struck before the deadline, will see George earn roughly $27 million in 2026.
But for most, the tag is a placeholder in the hopes that a long-term deal will get worked out.
Playing on the tag isn't ideal, as it only guarantees one year of salary, but we have seen some players take things to the next level when they get tagged.
One player is former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell.
Bell famously got tagged twice by the Steelers, and the second tag, he chose to sit out the entire 2018 season. The year prior, Bell rushed for 1,291 yards and 9 TDs.
But after Bell sat out the 2018 season, he never surpassed 800 rushing yards in any year. In fact, he only lasted another three seasons before being out of the league in 2021.
So if there is anyone who can offer Pickens advice when it comes to playing or not playing on the tag, it's Le'Veon.
And as a guest on The White House with Michael Irvin on Netflix, Bell gave Pickens some sound advice.
"If I'm George, I think I play on the tag in the hopes of getting a deal worked out," Bell said. "I think they do make a deal, eventually."
We have seen players get on the field in good faith when on the franchise tag, play well, and then get their long-term deal.
But in Bell's case, the year he held out seems like it was the straw that broke the camel's back as far as his career is concerned.
Before he held out, Bell posted at least 1,200 rushing yards and 7 TDs in three of his five seasons. But after the holdout, he was a shell of himself.
So you could make the case that Bell holding out cut short his NFL career.
Maybe that can be a cautionary tale for Pickens, if he has any thought about potentially holding out as well.
So, of all the people giving their two cents on George's contract situation, maybe he should listen to Le'Veon.
Because we know what can really go wrong.