Dallas Cowboys had time till July 15 to make a decision about George Pickens. But Jerry Jones and the Cowboys did not sign a multi-year extension. This did not sit well with former Detroit Lions quarterback Chase Daniel, who dropped a blunt statement on the situation. 

Pickens is entering his second season with the Cowboys on a fully guaranteed one-year, $27.3 million contract after signing the non-exclusive franchise tag in late April. His deal cannot be extended until the Cowboys complete their regular-season finale against the Washington Commanders in January 2027. To Daniel, it is a silly move by the Cowboys. 

“Cowboys have the #6 & #7 WR in the league according to this,” wrote former Lions quarterback Daniel on X on July 15.  “George Pickens has so much untapped potential…the fact that the Cowboys won’t re-sign him is ludicrous.”

The urgency of signing players to long-term deals further puts Dallas’ decision under a critical light. 

Indianapolis Colts placed the transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones, while the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons franchise-tagged Breece Hall and Kyle Pitts. Jones, Hall, and Pitts later agreed to long-term extensions. So, Pickens is the only franchise-tagged player still without a new contract this offseason.

Last year, the Cowboys landed Pickens and a 2027 sixth-round pick from Pittsburgh in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round selection. He went on to enjoy a career-best campaign, recording 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine scores.

Even though Pickens has been subjected to delay, he has shown a positive attitude. 

“So, definitely play football first, kind of like I did last year, and then worry about [the contract], well, let my agent worry about it, really," said Pickens to the reporters following their minicamp in June. 

However, now that the Cowboys have put him on hold until the end of this season, it left an analyst upset, too. 

ESPN's Louis Riddick weighs in on Cowboys' George Pickens decision

On the July 15 episode of the Get Up podcast, ESPN analyst Louis Riddick broke his silence on the Pickens situation. 

“Clearly, they feel as though the best version of George Pickens is the one that is hungry and trying to secure long-term financial stability in the form of a long-term contract,” Riddick said. “And they’re just not comfortable going ahead and giving him financial security and signing him to a long-term deal.”

To Riddick, the Cowboys traded Pickens for a reason. After struggling with the Pittsburgh Panthers, he witnessed his best season in the Dallas camp. 

His production placed him inside the NFL's top 10 across every major receiving metric, and his 90.6 PFN WR Impact score ranked third among all wideouts.

By not signing an extension before the July deadline, Pickens joined DeMarcus Lawrence, Dak Prescott, Dalton Schultz, and Tony Pollard as the fifth Cowboys player in the last nine seasons to head into the season under a franchise-tag designation.

What are your thoughts on Dallas not handing a long-term deal to Pickens this offseason? Let us know in the comments. 

Read more at Detroit Lions Community. 

Written by

Soheli Tarafdar

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar