George Pickens Got the Franchise Tag While Anthony Richardson Got Permission to Seek Trade
It maybe the offseason but there are still plenty of happenings in the NFL. Some guys don’t like it, but the franchise tag is not going away anytime soon. On the other hand, some guys prefer a trade than to be franchised. And recently both things have happened. George Pickens got the franchise tag while Anthony Richardson got permission to seek a trade. Just this morning the Dallas Cowboys announced the move to place the franchise on wide receiver George Pickens. And yesterday, the Indianapolis Colts granted permission to quarterback Anthony Richardson to seek a trade.
The move by Dallas has been expected as Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones had said earlier this week that they were leaning toward tagging him. It’s not cheap to place the tag because it’s worth about $28.8 million. They will have until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal; otherwise, Pickens will play the season on a this one-year c0ntract. For any other NFL teams considering using the tag, they have until the deadline of Tuesday at 4:00 PM ET.
In the 2025 season, Pickens had 93 catches, 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, his best yet. Naturally, with numbers like those, it was a necessity for the Cowboys to keep Pickens. He was acquired last March in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers along with a 2027 sixth-round pick. In exchange for a 2026 third-rounder and a 2027 seventh-round selection. However, the main issue is that the Cowboys are currently over the salary cap, making a long-term deal with Pickens more complicated. He’s expected to command a hefty long-term contract in the $30-plus million per season range.
George Pickens Got the Franchise Tag While Anthony Richardson Got Permission to Seek Trade
For Richardson his NFL career has been a bumpy ride, even getting benched during the 2024 season temporarily for Joe Flacco. Last season the Colts signed Daniel Jones by way of the Minnesota Vikings, who had started his career with the New York Giants. As the starting quarterback he played like a man reborn relegating Richardson to the No. 2 position. Richardson sustained a fractured orbital bone in a freak pregame warmup incident, finishing the 2025 season on injured reserve.
Nevertheless, some feel that the Colts failed to develop Richardson, and his talent level shouldn’t be blamed. Currently, the Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders could be potential trading partners. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is said to be the “quarterback whisperer” and could be the best thing for Richardson.
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