- May 21, 2026
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The deadline for the Cowboys and receiver George Pickens to finalize a long-term deal passed without a failed game of beat the clock. For the Cowboys, the clock was never even ticking.
The inability, as of 4:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, for the Cowboys and Pickens to sign a multi-year contract before the end of the regular season also means that the practical window for trading Pickens has closed.
It's not impossible. But who would do it? If Pickens were traded, the new team would step into the Cowboys' shoes. There could be no long-term deal until the end of the regular season.
The new team would be trading for a one-year, $27.3 million contract and the ability to sign him after Week 18 — or to tag him again in 2027, at a price tag of $32.76 million.
Of course, the two-year payout of $60.6 million could be attractive, given that the market has moved beyond $40 million per year. But it's not ideal to the relationship to acquire Pickens with the intention to tag him again, even if the Cowboys quite possibly intend to do just that.
The Cowboys would have wanted too much for Pickens to justify a guaranteed return of one or maybe two years.
Although the notion of a potential tag-and-trade outcome was mentioned very early in the offseason, it was never a serious possibility before the time passed for Pickens to be signed to a long-term deal. Now that the team trading for Pickens couldn't extend his contract, it makes no sense for anyone to even try.
So the can gets kicked into January. And don't be shocked if the Cowboys try to drag their feet again, given that next year's tag will still be $10 million below the current bar set by Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
At some point (and no later than March 2028), the Cowboys will have to decide whether to make a much more significant financial commitment to Pickens. Which means that they'll likely have to choose between keeping Pickens or CeeDee Lamb.
The inability, as of 4:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, for the Cowboys and Pickens to sign a multi-year contract before the end of the regular season also means that the practical window for trading Pickens has closed.
It's not impossible. But who would do it? If Pickens were traded, the new team would step into the Cowboys' shoes. There could be no long-term deal until the end of the regular season.
The new team would be trading for a one-year, $27.3 million contract and the ability to sign him after Week 18 — or to tag him again in 2027, at a price tag of $32.76 million.
Of course, the two-year payout of $60.6 million could be attractive, given that the market has moved beyond $40 million per year. But it's not ideal to the relationship to acquire Pickens with the intention to tag him again, even if the Cowboys quite possibly intend to do just that.
The Cowboys would have wanted too much for Pickens to justify a guaranteed return of one or maybe two years.
Although the notion of a potential tag-and-trade outcome was mentioned very early in the offseason, it was never a serious possibility before the time passed for Pickens to be signed to a long-term deal. Now that the team trading for Pickens couldn't extend his contract, it makes no sense for anyone to even try.
So the can gets kicked into January. And don't be shocked if the Cowboys try to drag their feet again, given that next year's tag will still be $10 million below the current bar set by Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
At some point (and no later than March 2028), the Cowboys will have to decide whether to make a much more significant financial commitment to Pickens. Which means that they'll likely have to choose between keeping Pickens or CeeDee Lamb.