George Pickens has one play for 2026: Show up and play well

Cowboys receiver George Pickens has accepted the franchise tender for 2026. Why would he do it?

It's not complicated.

Pickens could have stayed away, for all of the offseason program, all of training camp, all of the preseason. He could have waited until the days preceding the start of the regular season to show up, take the tender, and make every penny of his $27.298 million.

He also could have skipped the first 10 weeks of the regular season before showing up, making $12.13 million, and getting credit for the contract year.

He could have demanded a trade. He could have insisted on better terms than the franchise tender offered, whether it be more money or a commitment to not tag him again in 2027.

Pickens did none of those things. He took the tender. Now. He's under contract. Now. He can still skip the mandatory minicamp, but he'll be fined. He can skip days of training camp. Again, he'll be fined.

He could have done that without accepting the franchise tag.

The inescapable message is this. He's handling the situation like quarterback Dak Prescott did in 2020. Accept the circumstances, show up, work hard, and see what happens in 2027.

Given Pickens's reputation (right or wrong) during his three years in Pittsburgh, he needs to keep putting distance between his time with the Steelers and his time with the Cowboys. He needs to have another season like the one he had last year.

Even though the franchise tag for the receiver position falls $15 million short of the new-money APY for the top of the receiver market, Pickens will make more than anyone ever would have thought he'd make before he was traded to the Cowboys last May.

And so the play is simple. Play well enough this year to put the Cowboys in a bind next year. They can sign him to a long-term deal (which possibly may require them to move on from receiver ) or tag Pickens again, at a 20-percent bump over his 2026 salary ($32.76 million).