Dak Prescott issues warning to George Pickens amid contract showdown and $66m Cowboys reshuffle

The Dallas Cowboys made a big decision on Tuesday in what’s set to be a pivotal offseason.

The Cowboys placed the franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens, who will earn $27.3 million in 2026.

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Jerry Jones hinted this would be the case, and it has come to fruition.

Dallas have also re-signed running back Javonte Williams as he looks to build on what was a stellar offensive campaign in 2025.

Pickens’ quarterback Dak Prescott was tagged twice by the Cowboys before becoming the highest paid QB in NFL history.

He was quick to offer advice to Pickens when the news broke about his franchise tag.

“I just want him to know don’t change your love for football,” Prescott said while appearing at the Children’s Caner Fund Gala.

“Don’t get into the business mind of this. You played last year on a one-year [deal] for not even that much.

“So, if you can go and get $30 million or whatever it is now, that’s the same thing I got when I got franchised.

“So go and do it, at the end of the day go bet on yourself. He is a hell of a player.

“Hopefully we can get him long-term and signed. But if not, I think the way he plays the game and the person that he is, he’ll be just fine.”

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Pickens, who was once described as a ‘problem’ for the Pittsburgh Steelers, which ultimately led to his trade, earned just $3.65 million in base salary in 2025 as he was in the final year of his rookie contract.

He was expected to command upwards of $20 million on the free agency market to align with some of the NFL’s leading receivers.

But it’s a payday that he earned.

Stepping up as WR1 for most of the season after CeeDee Lamb suffered a broken foot in Week 2, Pickens outperformed expectations.

He posted 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, making the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.

Prescott’s contract among multiple restructures before free agency

It comes as Dallas have officially restructured the contract of Prescott and guard Tyler Smith to create $47 million in cap space ahead of the start of free agency next week.

They are also expected to restructure Lamb’s contract, which would create make it $66 million in space.

The Cowboys got off to a torrid start to the 2025 NFL season, entering the campaign without star pass rusher Micah Parsons after Jones dealt him to the Green Bay Packers in a blockbuster trade one week before their season opener.

Under first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer they entered their Week 10 bye week with a 3-5-1 record, with Prescott putting up one of the best seasons of his career.

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The Cowboys finished with a 7-9-1 record and missed the playoffs. At the NFL Combine, Jones said he expects to be very active in free agency.

“We will spend more money in free agency than we have.” Jones told Tommy Yarrish via the team’s website.

“The only way to push more is for me to go borrow some of my future.

“I want to do everything we possibly can to stop somebody and to basically win some third downs more than we did last year. So I think that would be the area where you would see me bust the budget.” 

“A defense that could support an offense the way that we played at the level last year, and get us into the playoffs, and give us a chance to get good after we get in the playoffs, I see that defense this year. I do. We don’t have to do much to get better.”

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