​George Pickens will officially play on the franchise tag in 2026.Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens will officially play the 2026 season on his $27.3 million franchise tender after Wednesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline for tagged players to agree to long-term contracts passed.This was an expected conclusion after the Cowboys announced before the NFL draft in April that they did not plan to hold talks on a long-term contract with Pickens. The last time the Cowboys signed a player tagged for the first time to an extension was wide receiver Dez Bryant in 2015.Pickens has already signed his franchise tender, putting him under contract for the 2026 season. He said last month that he was prepared to play this season on that tag.“Like the tag and all that, it’s just football first,” Pickens said after the first day of mandatory minicamp. “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.”Training camp will be vital for these players.TE Luke SchoonmakerOnly two players remain from the Cowboys’ 2023 draft class: linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, a third round pick in that draft, and Schoonmaker, asecond round pick out of Michigan. Could that number dwindle down to one by the time the offseason is over?The Cowboys have quietly signaled that as a possibility. The Cowboys didn’t acquire a veteran tight end this offseason. They also didn’t select a tight end in the 2026 NFL draft, but they did sign two undrafted free agents in Baylor’s Michael Trigg and TCU’s D.J. Rogers. Conveniently, they also spent the most money among their crop of undrafted free agents on those two.The undrafted free agents that the Cowboys sign to the biggest deal often have a better chance at making the team than others. Two years ago, tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford turned in the highest paid undrafted deal into two years with the Cowboys thus far. If Spann-Ford could leap Schoonmaker on the depth chart, and if one or both of the undrafted rookie tight ends take strides, then Schoonmaker will certainly have to fight for his spot.The good news for Schoonmaker: He’s feeling healthy after dealing with multiple injuries the last two years and he feels ready for the challenge.Several players need to maximize their chance to cash in.Patrik: To me, there’s one glaring answer to this question, and his name is George Pickens. Granted, Pickens is no longer trying to prove he can be a breakout receiver capable of carrying an offense, as he was in his first contract season, or in sharing the load without complaint with yet another top-tier wideout. His 1,400-yard, nine TD season was a thing of beauty, and he’s also shattered the locker room narrative coming out of Pittsburgh ahead of his trade to Dallas.So, what does Pickens need to prove in 2026? Well, as the Cowboys view it: consistency. I am of the mindset that the team should’ve extended him this offseason, bu