George Pickens has not signed franchise tag with Cowboys, despite reports of him doing so during NFL Draft

Receiver George Pickens has not signed the franchise tag tender offered to him by the Dallas Cowboys, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. despite reports that he would do so during last week’s NFL Draft.

Pickens hasn’t yet signed the franchise tag because he wants a long-term contract, whether that’s with the Cowboys or another NFL team, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday’s “The Pat McAfee Show.”

“He wants a long-term contract or he would like a trade,” Schefter said. “[The Cowboys] have been very clear that they’re not going to give him a long-term contract. So that leaves both sides in a position that’s a little bit unsettled.“

The Cowboys have already made their stance clear on a multi-year deal with Pickens, as Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein wrote last week.

“We’ve made a decision that we’re going to have George play under the franchise tag, which won’t be a first for us,” Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones told reporters before the draft. “So there won’t be negotiations on a long-term deal.”

Dallas’ reluctance to make a long-term agreement with Pickens stems from the team already paying multi-year, top-dollar contracts with quarterback Dak Prescott and receiver CeeDee Lamb. Prescott agreed to a four-year, $240 million extension in September 2024, while Lamb inked deal a month earlier.