The Cowboys officially placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Pickens on Friday, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The transaction is confirmed by Patrik Walker of the team's official site. The non-exclusive franchise tag will allow Pickens to negotiate with other teams beginning with the start of the legal tampering period March 9, but it will also allow Dallas the right to match any offer extended to the breakout wide receiver. As with any franchise tag option, both sides will still have until mid-July to negotiate a potential multi-year deal, and Cowboys ownership has continually expressed a desire to keep Pickens around long-term. If no long-term extension is finalized, Pickens will be slated to play out the 2026 campaign on a fully guaranteed one-year, $28.8 million contract, per K.D. Drummond of USA Today.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Monday that the team plans to finalize designating Pickens with the franchise tag within the next week, A to Z Sports reports.

EDGE Analysis

Pickens receiving the franchise tag has been the expectation after his breakout inaugural campaign in Dallas, which featured a 93-1,429-9 receiving line (137 targets) across 17 regular-season appearances. The franchise tag would allow the Cowboys to retain Pickens, an impending free agent, for the 2026 season on a one-year, $28 million exclusive deal, as well as provide both sides with until mid-July to negotiate a long-term deal. Were Pickens to reach the open market as a free agent, the soon-to-be 25-year-old wideout would doubtless earn a multi-year deal well in excess of that annual salary figure. Randy Gurzi of SI.com estimates that any deal Pickens were to sign on the open market would be in the range of $30 million per year.

The Cowboys are expected to place their franchise tag on Pickens during the offseason, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Pickens had a breakout year in his first campaign with Dallas, posting career bests of 93 catches, 137 targets, 1,429 receiving yards and nine receiving TDs while making his first Pro Bowl and earning second-team All-Pro recognition. While he's stated that he'd like to remain with the Cowboys, Pickens is slated to be an unrestricted free agent, so Dallas appears set to get a leg up on retaining the star wideout by applying the franchise tag to him. Schefter notes that the tag could simply "serve as a placeholder for the start of negotiations designed to keep [Pickens] in Dallas."

Dallas has not yet engaged in discussions about a potential new contract with Pickens, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports.

EDGE Analysis

Pickens broke out as the Cowboys' leading receiver in 2025, with his 93-1,429-9 line on 137 targets outpacing CeeDee Lamb by six scores and roughly 350 receiving yards. That stands as a notable margin even considering that Pickens played all 17 regular-season games while Lamb suited up for just 14 contests. All expectations are that Dallas will retain Pickens, either via the franchise tag or with a contract extension following the tremendous chemistry he's demonstrated with quarterback Dak Prescott. As Watkins notes, however, the Cowboys' contract negotiations last offseason were tumultuous, culminating in the trade of Micah Parsons (knee), and if Pickens were to hit the open market he'd be one of the most sought-after free agents in the league.

Pickens caught one of three targets for nine yards in Sunday's 34-17 loss to the Giants. He finishes the 2025 season with 93 catches for 1,423 yards and nine touchdowns on 137 targets.

EDGE Analysis

Pickens didn't add much to his career high totals in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns before the Cowboys took out their key offensive starters at halftime. The 24-year-old wide receiver is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, though the Cowboys are expected to retain Pickens, either through an extension or with the franchise tag. Pickens posted the best season of his career after being acquired from the Steelers in an offseason trade, but Dallas failed to reach the playoffs with a 7-9-1 record.

Pickens caught four of five targets for 78 yards in the Cowboys' 30-23 win over the Commanders on Christmas Day.

EDGE Analysis

Despite the limited looks, the star wideout finished second on Dallas in receiving yards, topped only by KaVontae Turpin, who turned his only catch into an 86-yard touchdown. The five targets represented Pickens' lowest volume since Week 5, but Thursday's production did put him over 90 catches and 1,400 yards on the season -- the first time he's reached either mark in his career. He'll look to finish the year on a high note ahead of his potential free agency this offseason in a Week 18 clash with the Giants.

Pickens caught seven of nine targets for 130 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 34-17 loss to the Chargers.

EDGE Analysis

After a three-game stretch in which Pickens had posted a 14-158-0 line on 28 targets while CeeDee Lamb took center stage in the Cowboys' aerial attack, Pickens surged back to the forefront Sunday, capping his fifth 100-yard performance of the season with a 38-yard TD strike from Dak Prescott in the second quarter. Pickens has already put together a career-best campaign with 88 catches on 129 targets for 1,342 yards and nine touchdowns, and he'll look to stay locked in against the Commanders in Week 17.

Pickens recorded three receptions on six targets for 33 yards in Sunday's 34-26 loss to the Vikings.

EDGE Analysis

Pickens was scrutinized throughout the week after a poor Week 14 performance, and he didn't fare any better in Sunday night's loss to the Vikings. His six targets were his fewest since Week 7, and his yardage the lowest since Week 1. A Week 16 matchup against the Chargers isn't the ideal matchup for him to get back on track, though Pickens has managed to excel in tough matchups throughout the season.

Pickens brought in five of nine targets for 37 yards in the Cowboys' 44-30 loss to the Lions on Thursday night.

EDGE Analysis

It was a largely forgettable night for Pickens, who somehow finished with his lowest yardage total since Week 1 on a night when Dak Prescott threw for a season-high 376 yards on 47 pass attempts and CeeDee Lamb left the game early in the second half due to a concussion. Pickens did reach the five-catch threshold for the sixth straight game, but he also had a ball bounce off his hands on the first play of the second half that resulted in a Lions interception. Pickens also appeared have a chance to come down with a deep throw from Prescott just before the two-minute warning but never appeared to make an attempt to catch the ball, and he'd been flagged for a facemask penalty earlier in the contest as well to wipe out a reception. Naturally, the good has far outweighed the bad when it comes to Pickens' debut Cowboys campaign, but he'll need to bounce back in a Week 15 home matchup against the Vikings on Sunday night, Dec. 14, especially if Lamb remains out.

Pickens (calf/knee) doesn't have a designation for Thursday's game at Detroit, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

For the second week in a row, Pickens was listed with calf and knee injuries, which limited him at Monday's practice. He followed up that capped session with a full practice Tuesday and full walkthrough Wednesday, clearing him for Week 14 action. Pickens has continued to be a menace to opposing defenses since the Cowboys' Week 10 bye, gathering in 24 of 33 targets for 378 yards and two touchdowns over the last three contests.