Cowboys reveal George Pickens’ ‘fired up’ reaction to franchise tag

The Dallas Cowboys kicked off the offseason by placing the franchise tag on George Pickens. Each situation is different, but there have been plenty of instances where players are seemingly frustrated with the franchise tag. However, it appears to be the exact opposite for the four-year veteran.

On Friday, the Cowboys revealed that Pickens was “fired up” after they informed him they were using the franchise tag on him, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. The soon-to-be 25-year-old wide receiver is excited to remain in Dallas and continue playing for the organization.

“[Pickens] was fired up that he wasn’t going to be going anywhere,” said Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Stephen Jones on the ‘Rich Eisen Show.’ “He was very fired up about his future with us. We felt like he wanted to be in Dallas. He certainly said that to Jerry. Jerry just said he was on cloud nine that he was gonna be a Cowboy again.”

The Cowboys placed a non-exclusive tag on George Pickens this offseason. That allows the former second-round pick to negotiate with other teams in free agency. However, Dallas can choose to either match any offers made to Pickens or allow the star wideout to sign with that team.

If Jerry Jones and the Cowboys opt not to match the offer, then the team signing Pickens would have to give Dallas draft compensation equal to two first-round picks. The franchise tag gives the front office until July 15 to agree on a potential long-term deal with Pickens. If not, then the tag would pay Pickens $27.3 million for the 2026-27 campaign.

George Pickens had a breakout year in his first season with the Cowboys. He recorded career highs across the board in receptions (93), yards (1,429), and touchdowns (9). Pickens also played in all 17 games for the third time in his career.

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