Colin Cowherd mocks Jerry Jones over George Pickens’ franchise tag situation

The Dallas Cowboys put themselves in a complex position after they tagged wide receiver George Pickens. The veteran posted the best season of his four-year NFL career, recording 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns.

Pickens turned a lot of heads after hitting it off with quarterback Dak Prescott, creating a terrific tandem with fellow receiver CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys used the nonexclusive tag on Pickens, meaning that he would be able to play with other teams once free agency opens.

Colin Cowherd criticized the decision during Friday’s episode of his Fox Sports show, “The Herd.” The veteran analyst questioned why the Cowboys forced themselves into a situation in which they will likely have to pay more to retain Pickens.

“It would be nice to occasionally, like the Seahawks or the Rams, get a player like Puka (Nacua) at least at a bit of a discount for several years. Brandon Aubrey, the Cowboy kicker, is also seeking the highest kicking contract in the league, and he’ll get it,” Cowherd said.

“It’s like the Cowboys have a self-imposed tariff on all their players. They walk out of the dealership. We got the Bentley at 15% above asking price. And they brag about it. So Dak’s at $74 million. CeeDee’s almost $40 million. Pickens is going to be $28.5 million. Tyler Smith, hell of a player, he’ll be $28 million. You’ll have the highest-paid kicker.”

If Pickens doesn’t sign somewhere else, the Cowboys will pay him nearly $30 million for the 2026 season.

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Nick Wright urges Jerry Jones to sign other player over George Pickens

During Wednesday’s edition of “First Thing First,” analyst Nick Wright urged Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to prioritize place kicker Brandon Aubrey over George Pickens.

“I would be way more bummed out, as a Chiefs fan, if any of those teams got Brandon Aubrey than if they got George Pickens, and they all need wide receivers,” Wright said. “They all need wide receivers, and I would be more bothered by them getting Brandon Aubrey than I would George Pickens.”

The Cowboys want to make Aubrey the highest-paid kicker in the league, but the team and the player’s agent have yet to reach an agreement on the number.