Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens is the only player in the league about to play the 2026 regular season on a franchise tag. Dallas had made it crystal clear that nothing else was on the table for GP3, but there were no plans to trade him away either. Now, with the wide receiver market resetting, Pickens’ market is getting hotter.

The Baltimore Ravens offered Zay Flowers a 4-year, $140 million extension with $108 million guaranteed, making him the fourth-highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL (tied with Justin Jefferson). When Pickens dropped in on 105.3 The Fan this Tuesday, he was asked what he thought about Flowers’ new deal. Pickens made it clear that his eventual (possible) extension would have to be just as good, if not better.

“I honestly feel like that’s nice,” Pickens said. “I think the world kind of speak for me, but me personally, I think I’m definitely in that range or above.”

This season, Pickens gets a $27.298 million payday, fully guaranteed on his franchise tag. But on the list of highest-paid wide receivers in the league, that 1-year tag lands him at No. 18. That’s not a rank anywhere close to the kind of output he gave Dallas in 2025.

Last season, Pickens caught 93 passes for 1,429 yards, hauling in 9 touchdowns in the process, and leading his team in receiving yards. These career-highs across the board got him his very first Pro Bowl nod and Second-team All-Pro. Flowers, comparatively, caught 86 passes for 1,211 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Flowers, comparatively, has caught 86 passes for 1,211 yards and 5 touchdowns. He did add 62 rushing yards and another touchdown on the ground, but his numbers don’t match Pickens’ production.

Now, Spotrac projects Pickens’ market value at 4-years, $122.42 million, giving him an annual average value of $30.6 million. But with Flowers locked in with his new deal, that market value is lower than what Pickens can get, as the man himself says “or above.” How high that number can go will depend on whether Pickens can ball out like he did last year, and whether owner/general manager Jerry Jones would be willing to break the bank to keep his offensive core locked in.

Jerry’s track record suggests that even after the 2026 regular season ends, negotiations and media narratives would continue well into the ’27 offseason. But in that time, more teams are sure to lock in their receiver threats to bigger and better deals, directly pushing Pickens’ number higher.

With Pickens offering quarterback Dak Prescott another target alongside CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys had the second-best passing offense in the league, averaging 268.1 yards per game. The franchise tag on Pickens might just be a waiting game to see if Pickens can deliver at the same level once again. If Pickens delivers, that either gives him an unshakable case for a bigger contract or provides Jerry with enough leverage to wrangle premium draft picks in exchange.

On 105.3 The Fan, George Pickens was also asked if there was ever a chance of him holding in at camp, but the 25-year-old shut that down, noting that he’d left all negotiations to his agent so he can be “locked in on the guys.” Prescott has promised his teammates the playoffs this year, and Pickens will be a big part of that puzzle. If all the stars align, Jerry could be inclined to make Pickens the highest-paid receiver in the league – a spot currently owned by Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s $42.15 million AAV. Let’s just hope he doesn’t mortgage the present to get a couple of first-rounders again.