Cowboys Franchise Tag History: George Pickens Latest Player to Be Tagged By Dallas

George Pickens was franchise tagged by the Cowboys on Tuesday, keeping him with the organization for at least another year. It’s expected that Dallas will attempt to negotiate a long-term extension with Pickens, but as those discussions carry out, the star wide receiver is set to play the 2026 season under the tag, which should pay him around $28 million.

In recent seasons, the Cowboys have been the most frequent utilizers of the franchise tag, though Pickens was the first player Dallas tagged since 2023. Pickens is now the 11th player in franchise history to be tagged, dating back to 1993 when the tag was first instated in the collective bargaining agreement.

Let’s take a look at the Cowboys’ history of using the franchise tag.

2002 - Flozell Adams, OL

Franchise Tag value: $4.9 million

The first time the Cowboys franchise tagged a player was in 2002 when they re-signed Adams on a one-year, $4.9 million deal. The following offseason, Adams was re-signed to a five-year extension, and went on to make the Pro Bowl in five of the next six seasons.

2008 - Ken Hamlin, CB

Franchise Tag value: $4.4 million

After making the Pro Bowl in 2007, Dallas tagged Hamlin ahead of the 2008 season. Before the season began, however, the reached an agreement on a long-term extension that would pay him $39 million over the next six seasons. Hamlin was released just two years into that deal.

2012, 2013 - Anthony Spencer

Franchise Tag value: $8.8 million (2012), $10.6 million (2013)

Anthony Spencer was the next player to play on the franchise tag for the Cowboys. Dallas signed him to the one-year tender, worth $8.8 million, after his rookie contract expired. Spencer played the 2012 season under the tag, and the organization tagged him again the following offseason, making him the first player in Cowboys history to be tagged in consecutive seasons. Spencer suffered a knee injury that limited him to just one appearance in 2013. He re-signed with the team on a one-year deal the following season, which ended up being his last in the NFL.

2015 - Dez Bryant, WR

Franchise Tag value: $12.823 million

Bryant held out from offseason workouts as he angled for a long-term extension from the Cowboys after being franchised tagged. In the end, the two sides came to an agreement on a five-year, $70 million contract just before the mid-July deadline. Bryant battled injuries throughout the next few seasons and ended up being released in 2018, just three seasons into the contract.

2018, 2019 - DeMarcus Lawrence, DE

Franchise Tag value: $17.143 million (2018), $17.128 million (2019)

Lawrence made the Pro Bowl in 2017 and remained with the Cowboys under the franchise tag the following season. After another big year in ‘18, Lawrence was tagged again in the offseason. He didn’t play under the tag that season, however, as the two sides came to an agreement on a lucrative five-year, $105 million deal. The contract included $65 million in guaranteed money, which at the time was the largest amount of guaranteed money ever given to a non-quarterback.

2020, 2021- Dak Prescott, QB

Exclusive Franchise Tag value: $31.4 million (2020), $37.1 million (2021)

Prescott and the Cowboys couldn’t come to an agreement on a new long-term deal before the July deadline in 2020, so Prescott played the season under the exclusive franchise tag. Dallas used the exclusive franchise tag on him again during the following offseason, but he ended up signing a four-year, $160 million extension with the franchise before the deadline. He signed another extension in 2024 which made him the highest-paid player in league history.

2022 - Dalton Schultz, TE

Franchise Tag value: $10.9 million

Schultz was tagged after a productive 2021 season during which he had a career-high eight touchdown receptions. He played the 2022 season on the one-year tender, but was not re-signed that offseason. He ended up joining the Texans on a one-year deal before receiving a contract extension from Houston in 2024.

2023 - Tony Pollard, RB

Franchise Tag value: $10.09 million

Pollard made the Pro Bowl in 2022 and was then tagged by the Cowboys in the offseason, who opted to retain him on a one-year deal rather than sign Ezekiel Elliott to a long-term extension. Pollard played in 2023 under the franchise tag, but was not given a new deal after that season. He signed with the Titans in 2024.

2026 - George Pickens, WR

Franchise Tag value: $27.298 million

Pickens was dominant in his first year in Dallas after being acquired in a trade with the Steelers. He put up career numbers across the board with 93 receptions, 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. The Cowboys will try to work out a long-term deal with him before the July deadline, but if they can’t come to an agreement, he’ll be in line to make $27.298 million in 2026.