George Pickens has finally put pen to paper on a contract.
The Dallas Cowboys wide receiver has signed his franchise tag for the 2026 season, according to a report Wednesday by ESPN's Todd Archer.
It was reported heading into the NFL draft that Pickens was planning to sign the $27.3-million franchise tag after the club declared it wouldn't negotiate a long-term contract this off-season.
Cowboys executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones said the Cowboys planned for Pickens to play on the tag this season. The sides would have had until July 15 to try to reach an agreement on a long-term deal.
By signing the agreement, Pickens can be fined for not showing up at the team's mandatory minicamp in June or for training camp in July. But getting under contract allows the 25-year-old to participate in the off-season program, which starts Monday.
Pickens, acquired last off-season in a trade with Pittsburgh, had career highs in catches (93), yards receiving (1,429) and touchdowns (nine) for one of the best offences in the NFL last season. Dallas had one of the worst defences in the league and finished 7-9-1, missing the playoffs for the second year in a row.
The 2022 second-round pick out of Georgia thrived alongside CeeDee Lamb, who is going into the second year of a $136-million, four-year contract that ranks him third among NFL receivers with an average annual value of $34 million.
There is an incentive for Pickens to take the guaranteed money under the tag because it's a huge payday compared to the total earnings of $6.8 million on his four-year rookie deal.
--with files from the Associated Press.
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