Overview
- Pickens signed the fully guaranteed one-year franchise tender for $27.3 million and is participating in the Cowboys’ training camp in Oxnard.
- Owner Jerry Jones publicly said Pickens “could be a Cowboy for the rest of his career,” and Pickens called the praise meaningful while saying he will leave contract work to his agents.
- Coaches and teammates have praised Pickens’ conduct at camp, with head coach Brian Schottenheimer calling him the most “dialed in” he’s seen and Dak Prescott noting Pickens’ focus and leadership.
- Pickens arrives at this season off a 2025 breakout of 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, and analysts say a repeat would force a market-reset that could yield a top-tier receiver contract next winter.
- The wider context: the NFL receiver market has surged with record deals this offseason and Dallas has a recent pattern of letting franchise-tagged players play out the year before negotiating long-term extensions.