When Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer first met wide receiver George Pickens, he challenged him to a game of basketball. Schotty claims he won; No. 3 remembers it differently. But that moment—two competitors sizing each other up over a hoop in a front office—captures the relationship Schottenheimer has built with his star receiver. And that’s exactly why he’s been sending a clear message to Stephen and Jerry Jones.

“Yeah, we talk every day,” Schotty told Rich Eisen at the NFL Combine this week when asked if the head coach is in talks with the Jones family to keep Pickens in Dallas.

“When I took the job, we were really committed to making sure there’s just constant communication, and the thing I saw about GP from the moment he got here, this guy is the best,” Schottenheimer continued. “I love this guy; I love how much fun he has playing the game. I know how much he loves football, and I expect George to be on our team for a long time.”

That’s not PR. It’s a direct signal to a front office weighing one of the biggest contract calls of this offseason. And when Eisen asked how he connected with Pickens after the trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers brought Pickens to the Star, Schotty went straight back to that basketball showdown.

“From that moment on, it’s just like he knew that I cared about him as a person and that what he could do for us on the football field was important,” Schottenheimer added. “I love the guy, I care about the guy, I want what’s best for him, like all of our players. And I think he felt that.”

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When Dallas acquired Pickens, Pittsburgh’s verdict was consistent: elite talent, questionable temperament. Sure, throughout the season, Pickens got slapped with $95,642 in fines and even strict punishment from Schottenheimer himself. But his on-field production silenced every critic for good.

Pickens finished the 2025 regular season with 93 catches and 1,429 receiving yards (third in the league) and nine touchdowns. His elite athleticism earned him a Pro Bowl nod and a second-team All-Pro, cementing him as one of Dallas’s most dangerous offensive weapons alongside CeeDee Lamb. Additionally, Pickens had already made it clear he wants to stay in Dallas and isn’t worried about a potential franchise tag.

“I ain’t even thought about that because it’s been, kind of like you said, like some of his money and some of the space that he had, you see what I mean?” Pickens had said. “So, I can just wait on them, that’s all I can do, and chill with the guys.”

But the wait seems to be over at last. Brian Schottenheimer’s daily communication with the Jones family has finally paid off. Dallas has just made it official, placing the franchise tag on George Pickens right before the deadline.

Are the Cowboys one step closer to locking in George Pickens long-term?

The Cowboys’ non-exclusive franchise tag on George Pickens guarantees him approximately $27.2 million for 2026 (per Spotrac). Stephen Jones had telegraphed this move throughout the Combine week. The franchise tag window opened on February 17, and Dallas moved decisively.

The non-exclusive designation carries specific weight. Once the new league year opens on March 11, Pickens is free to negotiate with other teams. If he signs an offer sheet elsewhere, Dallas has five days to match it. However, should the Cowboys decline, the signing team surrenders two first-round picks as compensation. It’s a steep price that keeps most suitors away in practice. It’s less an open market and more a retention mechanism worthy of Jerry Jones.

Now, here’s where it gets rather complicated for Dallas. The tag is fully guaranteed and adds $27.2 million to the Cowboys’ cap space. Per Over The Cap, this puts Dallas roughly $56 million over the cap space. Both sides now have till July 15 to negotiate a multi-year extension. At $27.2 million, the tag is significant but still below what elite WRs command long-term. Pickens will most likely push for security, and Dallas will want cap flexibility heading into a loaded offseason. Both of these can be achieved with a long-term deal.

But what’s the number? Cowboys’ WR1 CeeDee Lamb commands a $136 million deal, giving him a $34 million average annual payday. Last offseason’s Micah Parsons saga, a standoff that ended in a trade to the Green Bay Packers, is the cautionary tale nobody in the building wants to revisit. With Brian Schottenheimer openly advocating and ownership fully aligned, a long-term deal feels more inevitable than uncertain. The coach has made his case. Now the pen just needs to meet the paper.