The Dallas Cowboys announced on Friday that they placed the franchise tag on star wide receiver George Pickens.
Tagging Pickens was a formality as soon as the 2025 regular season ended, as it was never realistic that the two sides would agree to a long-term deal before the start of free agency on March 11. The tag puts Pickens under team control through next season.
But this isn't your ordinary franchise tag. Per ESPN's Todd Archer, the Cowboys used the non-exclusive franchise tag, which gives Pickens the freedom to negotiate with other teams. While scary on the surface, the non-exclusive tag actually puts Dallas in the driver's seat.
According to NFL Operations, the Cowboys hold the right of first refusal here. If Pickens signs an offer sheet with another club, Dallas has five days to match the offer. If they don't match it, they are entitled to draft capital "equivalent to two-first-round picks."
Dallas Cowboys surprisingly place the non-exclusive franchise tag on George Pickens
Credit where it's due: This is a great move by the front office.
For starters, it takes some of the negotiating burden off their hands, as it would allow the league to set Pickens' market. That would require teams to bid on Pickens, and that did not happen when the Ravens put the non-exclusive tag on quarterback Lamar Jackson, but the possibility still exists.
Even if all it does is clarify Pickens’ market value, that’s a win for Dallas. And if some team is reckless enough to offer two first-round picks, that’s a massive bonus.
The compensation is negotiable, which technically increases the likelihood of a trade, but why would the Cowboys accept anything less than what the rulebook states? Co-owner Stephen Jones has already said that Pickens will be on the roster next season.
The vast majority of Cowboys fans want Pickens to stick around, and rightfully so. But if a team is willing to surrender two first-round picks, there’s nothing to think about.
All the Cowboys have done here is show great process.
That’s unusual for them, but they’ve kept every option open while quietly establishing leverage ahead of a massive negotiation. For all the flak the Joneses get for negotiating through the media and other dubious tactics, this is how it’s supposed to be done. It’s proactive, yet disciplined.
Time will tell what lies on the other side of this negotiation, but the non-exclusive franchise tag always made sense here.