Dallas isn't handing George Pickens that long-term bag. Not with just a couple hours left until the 4 p.m. ET deadline for franchise-tagged players on Wednesday, it looks like he is absolutely playing on the one-year deal. This whole situation is wild, especially when you see what our guy, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, is pulling down.
The Cowboys Are Playing Hardball, Big Time
Jori Epstein from Yahoo Sports is reporting that the Cowboys haven't even had long-term contract discussions with Pickens. Think about that for a second! Players under franchise tags only have until this afternoon to ink multi-year deals. After that? One-year contracts or nothing. Dallas tagged Pickens back in February for a cool $27.3 million, and he signed that thing in April. He even missed voluntary OTAs earlier this offseason on his agent's advice, but he showed up for mandatory minicamp in June. He's reportedly "on track to participate in training camp," and NFL.com's Kevin Patra said Pickens himself claimed he wasn't disappointed about the lack of a long-term deal and wasn't planning a holdout. That's a brave face, but you gotta wonder if he's feeling it now. He's basically betting on himself to have *another* incredible season.Jaxon Smith-Njigba's Monster Deal Shows What Pickens Is Missing
Pickens' gamble comes after a career-best 2025 season where he stepped up huge for the Cowboys. Remember when CeeDee Lamb was out injured? Pickens took on a bigger role and absolutely balled out, racking up 1,429 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns in 17 games. Wanna know who had more receiving yards last season? Only the Los Angeles Rams' Puka Nacua, and our very own Seattle Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Let that sink in. Our JSN leads all wide receivers with a ridiculous $42.15 million in annual average salary. Nacua could even top that on his next deal! Pickens is absolutely trying to replicate that 2025 performance to force his way into that elite pay tier with Dak Prescott slinging him the rock. It's wild to think he's the *only* NFL player expected to play under his franchise tag next season. Kyle Pitts from Atlanta and Breece Hall from New York already secured their multi-year deals. So, Pickens is all-in for the upcoming season, playing for his entire financial future. The stakes couldn't be higher. He'll be out there in training camp, proving he deserves that monster deal like our own JSN already snagged. It's a massive year for Pickens if he wants to join the highest-paid wideouts in the NFL, but man, those Cowboys sure are making him earn it the hard way.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.