Cowboys, Jerry Jones survived pre-franchise tag ‘trade scare’ involving star wideout

George Pickens officially put pen to paper on his franchise tag with the Dallas Cowboys last month. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported this week that his agent, David Mulugheta, explored the market during draft weekend to understand his value better before the tag was finalized.

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Shan Shariff and Bobby Belt recently broke down the situation on “105.3 The Fan,” saying: 

“He wants a long-term contract. So this isn’t an ideal situation for him, but he signed the tag because it locked him into $27 million in guaranteed money. I’m told he really does like Dallas. He’s been working with Dak Prescott this offseason. He’s expecting to have another big year, but it sounds like he’s going to have to do one more year to get that big payday down the road. 

“So now that he signed the tender, he’s good with the Cowboys. They should move forward. I’m not expecting a trade or new deal at this point, but it was sticky there for a couple of weeks where he was trying to figure out what his market could look like because they wouldn’t negotiate.”

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According to a report from Jeremy Fowler, George Pickens’ agent, David Mulugheta, «looked around» during draft weekend to gauge his market before signing the franchise tag. @1053SS and @BobbyBeltTX run through the entire report⤵️ pic.twitter.com/dH3krpNEEQ

— 105.3 The FAN (@1053thefan) May 4, 2026

Much like Prescott did earlier in his career in 2020, Pickens is witnessing a situation that could lead to a bigger deal later. The Cowboys and Pickens have until July 15 to reach a multi-year extension. If they don’t, he will play the upcoming season under the one-year tag, with a potential 2027 franchise tag costing the Cowboys $32.76 million if they go that route again.

Pickens is coming off a magnificent season in 2025 with 93 catches, 1,429 receiving yards, and 9 touchdowns. Despite the contract situation, the Cowboys’ leadership has remained firm, with executive Stephen Jones stating the team has no intention of trading him. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer even views him as a key piece of the offense alongside CeeDee Lamb.

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