Overview
- Multiple outlets citing the Dallas Morning News report the Cowboys have had no contract discussions with Pickens’ agent to date.
- Reporting points to the franchise tag as the near-term move, with a Feb. 17–Mar. 3 window and a projected one-year cost around $28–$29 million.
- Pickens is coming off a breakout year in Dallas with 93 receptions, 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, earning second-team All-Pro honors.
- Team calculus includes salary-cap strain and documented timeliness/disciplinary issues from 2025, factors that complicate a long-term deal.
- Stephen Jones has voiced a desire to keep Pickens, DC interviews reinforced that view, and Dallas has begun preliminary talks with RB Javonte Williams even as Pickens’ Athletes First representation could add negotiating friction.