Overview
- Dallas applied the non-exclusive franchise tag on Feb. 27, securing Pickens for 2026 at roughly $27.298 million and allowing him to negotiate offer sheets.
- If another team signs him to an offer sheet that Dallas does not match, NFL rules would grant the Cowboys two first-round picks as compensation.
- With no public progress toward a multiyear deal, team reporter Bobby Belt predicts Pickens will play this season on the tag, with July 15 the deadline for any extension.
- The Cowboys are actively vetting receiver options, including a reported top-30 visit with Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. and a scheduled meeting with Texas Tech’s Reggie Virgil.
- After the Jaylen Waddle trade reset expectations for receiver deals, analysts outlined possible trade values for Pickens and cited the Jets and Patriots as speculative suitors.