George Pickens has agreed to sign the franchise tag tender, making him eligible to be traded, and Shannon Sharpe shared his honest opinion on the situation.

Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson went live together during the NFL Draft earlier and addressed the situation involving wide receiver George Pickens, who, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, has agreed to sign the tender.

“I don't understand why Stephen Jones needed to let the cat out of the bag says we have no intentions on working on a long-term deal. Basically saying George Pickens is going to play on the franchise tag at least this year,” Sharpe stated.

Before agreeing, the Dallas Cowboys’ CEO and co-owner, Stephen Jones, made it clear that the franchise would not negotiate a long-term deal with George Pickens.

This move didn’t make sense to Shannon Sharpe.

Sharpe understood what Jones had in mind. According to him, Jones likely wanted to convey that the team wouldn’t be able to trade Pickens or sign an extension unless he signed the tender, but the confirmation that they had no intention of offering a long-term deal was unnecessary.

Therefore, former Cincinnati Bengals player Chad Johnson suggested three teams for George Pickens to be traded to.

Chad Johnson’s Take On The George Pickens Situation

In 2025, George Pickens recorded 93 receptions, 1,429 receiving yards, and 9 TDs, earning Pro Bowl and Second-team All-Pro honors.

This suggests that Pickens has proven his potential, and given that many of his peers are getting paid what they deserve, it could upset him to play on a franchise tag, leading Chad Johnson to share his take on the situation.

“Allow Pickens to see grace somewhere else. As I said a long time ago, I said Browns, I said Raiders, and maybe even Buffalo. So those are my three teams,” he said.

However, he would be happy with George Pickens being signed by any team.

Shannon Sharpe agreed with Chad Johnson, further adding that the Cowboys didn’t need to announce their plans publicly, as it only stirred up the media and made Pickens upset.

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Written by

Monika Khatai

Edited by

Kalp Thaker