Pickens is now an official participant of the Cowboys‘ 2026 offseason camp, having made his appearance in the mandatory minicamp. It looks like the star wide receiver will have to play this year on the franchise tag, which he signed in April. It’s not the most ideal of situations for Pickens, who might have gotten what he wanted at another team, perhaps.

“It would be an absolutely foolish business decision of George Pickens to play on the franchise tag. It would be a completely, fiscally, unwise decision to play on the franchise tag,” Former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho said on Speakeasy. “Now, it might be a wise happiness decision, it might be a wise enjoyment decision, it might be a wise self-fulfillment, self-efficacy decision. But from a pure fiscally responsible decision, it is dumb.” 

“It is objectively dumb. Because if you go out there and play on the franchise tag for $27 [million], high-$20 million, and you get hurt, you are robbing yourself of tomorrow’s fortune for the money you are making today.” 

Pickens told the press after practice that the tag was not a problem, and it was always about keeping “football first.” He seemed confident about contributing to the Cowboys’ mission this year, and wants to bring the “Super Bowl to a group of guys who’ve never had the feeling.” The WR also confirmed that there will be no holdouts and he will participate in training camp.

Well, there goes the drama fans were expecting. But will sacrificing all that money pay off for Pickens in the future?

There’s big money in the wide receiver market in the NFL today. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the highest-paid WR at $42.15 million, followed by Cincinnati Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase’s $40.25 million per year paycheck. Fellow teammate CeeDee Lamb is the fifth-highest-paid WR in the league. Pickens, whose 1,452-yard haul was the third highest in the league, is going to earn a meagre $27.3 million on the tag, with no guarantees about his future.

Dallas is lucky that Pickens didn’t stage a holdout, because they’re saving a lot of money and getting to keep their passing attack intact with Dak Prescott.

Acho further directed the blame on Pickens’ agent for not bringing him a deal that matched his maximum earning potential. 

“The job of an agent is to not rob a man of his first fortune,” Acho explained. “George Pickens would be being robbed in the imminent future $120 or so million by playing for $27 [million] instead of playing for $140 [million].” 

Had Pickens not performed the way he did last year, this would have never been such a big issue. He came to Dallas from the Pittsburgh Steelers with the tag of being a ‘locker room problem.’ The numbers weren’t that great either. From this perspective, the Cowboys placing him on tag would have made sense, because they’d want to see Pickens reach his true ceiling. But that’s not the case.

Pickens has done his job, but the franchise tag is less than what he was due for. And who knows, the Cowboys might skimp out next year too, and put another tag on the WR. Acho was confident that Dallas is less likely to budge from their position.

“If the Cowboys aren’t paying him this year, they are never paying him,” he added. “If you’re going to pay George Pickens, you’re paying him now, when you’re paying him $35 million a year. By next year, you’re gonna have to pay him $42 million.” 

If Pickens can replicate what he did last year and stay healthy through the 2026 campaign, there will be offers lining up on his door. Perhaps then the WR will choose wisely.