The clock is ticking on the Cowboys’ biggest offseason decision: what to do with star wide receiver George Pickens. While his future is not set in stone just yet, the Cowboys’ management, executive VP Stephen Jones, was candid when asked about the possibility of using the franchise tag on George Pickens.

“No, that’s why we hadn’t decided to do it yet,” Stephen Jones said to Jonathan Jones at the 2026 NFL Combine. “It’s not necessarily something that we want to do, but at the same time, obviously, people use these things. We’ve used them in the past. I think Dak [Prescott] played under two tags. Daw (player’s name not clear) played under a couple of tags. Tony Pollard played under a tag.”

Clearly, Jones has decided that the Cowboys don’t want to place the franchise tag on the wide receiver just yet, but they don’t seem to want to trade him either. The Cowboys could lock Pickens in for one year at the projected receiver tag price of $28.8 million. However, a long-term deal might be a priority for the franchise.

“We just want to make sure it’s the right thing, and we have nothing but respect, and we love George and want him here, and it’s really important for us,” Jones later added. “I think George wants to be here. So we’ll be on a long-term contract.”

If they fail to reach an agreement on a long-term contract by the July 15 deadline, Pickens will play on a one-year contract, and the Cowboys will have to pay the entire sum, with all of it counting against the salary cap for this season. That being said, the tag gives the Cowboys exclusive negotiating rights and control for the 2026 season.

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He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 52nd overall pick in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In 2025, he was traded to the Cowboys along with a 2027 sixth-round pick in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick.

Though his off-field challenges stood out in Pittsburgh, in his first season at Dallas, the receiver has shown the league a glimpse of his abilities with the 3rd highest receiving yards in 2025.

During the segment, Jones also said the team has been in talks with Pickens’ representative before making a final decision, and he made it clear that he isn’t thinking about trading him either.

“We want George here. I mean, it’s really important to us,” Jones said. “We thought we had really played some of our best offense we’ve ever played. Having CeeDee [Lamb] and George, I mean, they’re both elite receivers in this league.”

Pickens’ stats from the 2025 season with the Cowboys support their decision to want him. He tallied 93 receptions for 1,429 receiving yards and scored nine touchdowns, with an average of 15.4 yards per catch, to earn his first Pro Bowl selection. Unsurprisingly, the head coach would also like him to continue with the franchise.

Brian Schottenheimer addresses George Pickens’ future with the Cowboys

Brian Schottenheimer, entering his second year as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, is now part of the discussion about Pro Bowler George Pickens.

Surely the head coach knows the value of retaining one of the standout players from an impressive offense last year. However, in his recent comments, he also expressed how not a lot could be done about how the future plays out.

“This is going to play out the way it’s supposed to play out,” Schottenheimer said Thursday from the NFL combine (as per ESPN). “GP loves football. And my relationship with GP doesn’t change. Just like it didn’t change with CeeDee [Lamb] or Dak [Prescott] or those guys who were going through certain things. It’s all part of the process. It’s the business side of it. Hell, I was talking to CeeDee last night. It doesn’t change.”

When asked if Pickens will be with the Cowboys long term, Schottenheimer simply said, “I hope so.”

Schottenheimer also added that he has not spoken to Pickens since the end of the season, but will soon. The Cowboys will be meeting with his representatives at the combine this week.