The Dallas Cowboys placed the franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens on Friday.
Pickens is the first member of the Cowboys to receive the tag since tight end Dalton Schultz in 2022.
Dallas would be charged a one-year salary of around $28.8 million for tagging Pickens unless the two sides reach a long-term agreement before July 15.
“My relationship with GP doesn’t change,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. “Just like it didn’t change with CeeDee (Lamb) or Dak (Prescott) when those guys were going through certain things. It’s all part of the process. It’s the business side of it. … This is going to play out the way it’s supposed to play out. GP loves football.”
Pickens, who turns 25 on March 4, caught 93 passes for 1,429 yards with nine touchdowns in 17 games in his first season with the Cowboys in 2025.
Team vice president Stephen Jones confirmed earlier this week that the Cowboys had no plans to part with Pickens.
“We want Pickens here. We think the world of him,” Jones said Monday in Indianapolis. “Want him here. Love him, and I think he wants to be here. So all that’s a plus.”
The Steelers selected Pickens in the second round of the 2022 draft and he played his first three seasons in Pittsburgh. Pickens has produced 267 receptions, 4,270 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns in 65 games (55 starts).
NFL boosts salary cap
The NFL informed its teams Friday that the salary cap for the upcoming season will be $301.2 million, an increase of $22 million from 2025.
NFL Network reported on Jan. 30 that the 2026 salary cap was projected to land anywhere from $301.2 million and $305.7 million.
The salary cap for 2025 was $279.2 million, which was a $23.8 million increase from the previous year.
The league’s rise in prosperity and popularity has been reflected in TV rights deals with its broadcast partners and impacted the annual salary cap, which was $120.37 million in 2011.
The cap has risen yearly since 2011, except for 2021 when the league prioritized recovery from the pandemic, including loss of live attendance gate and concessions profits.
Bears stadium plans
The Chicago Bears’ quest to find a more advantageous stadium situation made progress in two different venues on Thursday, as both Indiana and Illinois advanced plans in favor of stadium proposals.
Indiana, which has been pursuing the team ever since the Bears were initially rebuffed in attempts to secure a new stadium deal in their longtime home of Chicago, approved a funding deal in the state senate for the construction of a stadium and mixed-use development in Hammond, Ind., located in the state’s northwest corner, part of the Chicago metropolitan area.
Indiana Governor Mike Braun signed the bill, which will establish a stadium authority.
“We made it clear from the beginning that Indiana is open for business,” Braun said on social media. “I’m thrilled to sign Senate Bill 27 to create the framework to build a new world-class stadium in Northwest Indiana. Now let’s get this across the goal line.”
On the same day, an Illinois House committee passed a bill that would keep property taxes low for a potential complex in suburban Arlington Heights. That marked a major shift for Illinois, as earlier efforts at a so-called “megaprojects” bill had trouble moving out of committee.
The Bears already own land in Arlington Heights area, with property taxes being the main obstacle to building a new stadium there.
It is unclear if a measure would gain enough votes to pass a full House floor vote in the legislature, which reconvenes on March 18.
Indiana isn’t completely in the clear either, however, as environmental findings from the Hammond site, located near Wolf Lake, are still outstanding.
Nevertheless, progress on both fronts is a positive development for the team.
“Indiana has taken important steps over the last few months, and we are grateful for the leadership reflected by Gov. Braun signing SB27, establishing the framework for a stadium development in Northwest Indiana,” the team said in a statement. “We continue to work on the necessary due diligence and appreciate the ongoing engagement with Indiana state and local leaders.”
Hammond, Ind., is roughly 26 miles southeast of Soldier Field, while Arlington Heights is about 30 miles northwest of the Bears’ current home.
Earlier this year, the Kansas City Chiefs took a similar step, ending their long-standing deal with Missouri and planning to move to a new stadium across the border in Kansas. The new agreement provides additional revenue streams for the Chiefs and aligns with the franchise’s financial goal for shared funding, which Missouri refused to consider.
The Bears have called Soldier Field home since 1971. The team played the 2002 season at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill., on the University of Illinois campus, while Soldier Field underwent a massive renovation.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: NFL roundup: Cowboys put franchise tag on WR George Pickens
Reporting by Detroit News staff and wires, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
