The Dallas Cowboys reportedly plan to use the franchise tag on free agent wide receiver George Pickens. They have until 4 p.m. ET on March 3 to tag Pickens, and that feels inevitable unless Jerry Jones shocks the world and makes Pickens an offer before then.
Using the tag on Pickens will limit his options once free agency opens. It will effectively serve as a placeholder so that Jones and the front office can negotiate with the 24-year-old.
But what if Jones doesn't use the tag and Pickens reaches free agency? At that point, Cowboys fans should say their farewells, because Dallas isn't going to win a bidding war. That begs the question of which teams would write a blank check for the All-Pro receiver.
Well, Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus named the New York Jets as his top landing spot for Pickens. Simply put, a move to New York for Pickens could backfire in a big way.
George Pickens should take a discount with the Dallas Cowboys over signing with the Jets
Cameron notes that the Jets have the fourth-most cap space in the NFL at $83.2 million and that Pickens would have the support of another stud wide receiver in Garrett Wilson -- just as he does with CeeDee Lamb -- but what else does New York have going for it?
Not much, and Cameron conceded as much, saying that, "there isn't yet clarity on the Jets' plans at quarterback."
Why would Pickens sign with a team that's going to be in the veteran stopgap market this offseason after a season catching spirals from Dak Prescott, who buoyed Pickens' career season? Whether the Jets sign Kirk Cousins or trade for Kyler Murray, the downgrade at QB is going to be significant and potentially career-altering for the former Georgia Bulldog.
Pickens really cleaned up his act in Dallas after a turbulent four years with the Steelers. He completely restored his reputation and asserted himself as a top-10 receiver in the game. No team would trade for him this time last year, and now seemingly more than half the league wants him.
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Unfortunately, though, there are a lot of parallels between New York and Pittsburgh's respective QB situations, and the Jets are arguably the most dysfunctional team in the NFL.
It's not crazy to think that some of Pickens' worst habits -- immature behavior, on-field frustration, and questionable effort -- could resurface with the Jets. Why risk that after all of the strides he made in 2025?
This would be a different conversation if Cameron circled a functional team like the Bills, Broncos, or Patriots as Pickens' top landing spot. But if the decision comes down to taking a slight discount to return to the Cowboys or taking a blank check from the Jets, it shouldn't even be a conversation.