Just ahead of the NFL Draft, Adam Schefter and other insiders like Ian Rapoport reported that George Pickens was ‘signing’ the tag, leading many fans to believe the deal was done. However, on Monday, Schefter clarified that Pickens had not actually signed the franchise tag. This was later backed up by Todd Archer, who noted that Pickens wasn’t even at the Dallas Cowboys facility for the first day of voluntary workouts. Schefter eventually took to Instagram to share a final update. But by then, many fans were already frustrated with the mixed messaging.
“A post-draft update: George Pickens still has not yet signed his franchise tag tender with the Cowboys. He is planning to, but still hasn’t yet.” Adam Schefter posted on Instagram.
It was only a few days ago when major outlets reported that Pickens was set to sign his $27.3 million franchise tag, but post-draft updates later indicated he still hadn’t signed the tender. That led to Adam Schefter being asked to clear things up during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
“We reported he is signing, not that he had signed, and the plan is for him to sign,” Schefter clarified. “I checked in this morning, and he has not yet signed it, as Todd Archer pointed out. I checked in and was told that, ‘it was draft weekend; signing a tag immediately wasn’t the first thing on his mind.’”
Because of that earlier statement, fans are now questioning Schefter’s credibility. He also stated during his recent appearance that Pickens doesn’t want to play on the franchise tag and would either like a new contract or to be traded.
“Look, he wants a long-term contract, or he would like a trade.” Schefter said. “They have been very clear that they’re not going to give him a long-term contract. So now that leaves them in a position, both sides, I think, that’s a little bit unsettled at this current moment.”
Apparently, Dallas has gone the franchise tag route plenty of times, but the outcomes have been all over the place.
Dak Prescott and DeMarcus Lawrence were both tagged twice before eventually landing long-term deals. On the other hand, Dalton Schultz was tagged in 2022 and left the following offseason, while Tony Pollard played on the tag in 2023 and then moved on a year later. Two stayed, two left, not exactly the kind of track record that inspires much confidence.
Pickens also saw firsthand how things can play out. Last year, he watched from the sidelines as the Dallas Cowboys and Micah Parsons went through a messy contract situation. So he already has a pretty good sense of how this organization handles players it’s not fully ready to commit to.
Regardless, the conflicting reports back and forth from Schefter have frustrated fans, especially since the earlier confirmation on The Pat McAfee Show was taken as definitive. If Pickens remains unsigned, he is not under contract and cannot be fined for missing team activities, giving him significant leverage for a potential holdout.
With Adam Schefter’s conflicting reports, fans across platforms, from Reddit to Instagram, have been quick to call him out, expressing frustration over the mixed messages.
“So you lied on draft day when y’all said he signed it 😂😂😂” a fan pointed out.
Another fan added, “He gone .. Next season. Long Live Jerry!”
There’s been some talk about a possible trade, but he would have to sign first for that to even be on the table. So far, though, there haven’t been any discussions with other teams.
“Pickens, I love you on the Cowboys, man, but you have to chase that money. If this team cared about you, they would give you what you wanted, knowing you can always put up numbers. They’re going to trade you anyway,” another fan chimed in.
Notably, executive vice president Stephen Jones has said, “We have no intention of moving George.”
Still, if Dallas ever made Pickens available for trade, interest would be strong. After all. he delivered a career-best performance with 93 catches, 1,429 yards, and nine touchdowns last season with the Cowboys.
“Give that man the money he deserves!!!” another fan added, highlighting the major issue with the stalled contract talks.
“Here goes the Jones with that bullshit. Can never make anything easy.” The backlash may not stop with Schefter, it might only be a matter of time before attention shifts toward Jerry Jones as well.
For now, the Cowboys appear comfortable taking a wait-and-see approach as Pickens enters his second year with the team. The team is already paying CeeDee Lamb about $34 million per year, and committing that level of money to two top receivers would be difficult to manage.