Cowboys, George Pickens finally agree to $27 million franchise tag before NFL Draft

Cowboys, George Pickens finally agree to $27 million franchise tag before NFL Draft originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Dallas Cowboys took a lot of strides. Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones needed to reach out to agent David Mulugheta first but it may have been worth the time. They finally got George Pickens to stay one more year. He agreed to sign the franchise tag before the NFL Draft.

Pickens, Cowboys agree to franchise tag

George Pickens is under contract with the Cowboys for the 2026 season. He will be getting a guarantee of $27.3 million in the upcoming year. The belief is that his camp expects a larger payout come 2027, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

A lot of uncertainty clouded the saga between Pickens and the Cowboys but fans can rest easy for a bit before the NFL Draft. Jerry Jones had to have a conversation with agent David Mulugheta just hours before the deal was signed. Apparently, they had to reach out with an 'olive branch' just to ensure that Pickens' future was secured entering the NFL Draft.

The Cowboys owner outlined that signing the $27 million franchise tag was the best situation for Pickens.

"Obviously, he's been here for a year. We gave up a third-round pick for him, and certainly he's made tremendous progress in the year he's been here. I think he'd be the first to tell you this is a great situation for him, playing with  and Dak and in Coach Schottenheimer's offense. He loves Coach Schottenheimer and what he brings to the table. But certainly, a conscious decision that we've made," the older Jones declared on April 22.