Dak Prescott says Dallas Cowboys are poised to make big jump, tells George Pickens to bet on himself

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is all on on the moves owner Jerry Jones and the front office are making to improve team for 2026.

He likes the new hires on the defensive coaching staff. He likes the plans they have to be aggressive in free agency.

And he especially likes the prospect of throwing to wide receiver George Pickens again, thanks in part to the Cowboys placing the franchise tag on the All-Pro wide receiver to keep him off the free agency market following a career-best season in Dallas in 2026.

Prescott, who spoke to the media at the press conference to promote The Children’s Cancer Fund Gala, knowns Pickens wants to maximize his earnings and wishes him the best in that endeavor. But he also advised that it’s okay to bet on himself as he did and possibly play his way into a bigger deal next season.

Dak Prescott on Cowboys WR George Pickens and the franchise tag pic.twitter.com/5dcubc4CCq

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) March 4, 2026

Last Friday, the Cowboys officially placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Pickens for the 2026 season, valued at $27.298 million. This one-year, fully guaranteed tender keeps the former Pro Bowler in Dallas while the team works on a long-term contract extension before the July 15 deadline.

Pickens, who was acquired in a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers last spring, recorded 93 catches, 1,429 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns and could likely command $34 million annually or more on the open market. He wants a long-term deal and will likely not participate in the offseason program on minicamp while on the tag.

Prescott received the exclusive franchise tag from the Dallas Cowboys in March 2020, worth approximately $31.4 million for the 2020 season. He signed this tender in June 2020 and played the season on the tag He and subsequently signed a long-term, four-year, $160 million contract in March 2021 after briefly being tagged again.

Prescott offered understanding and preached patience.

“George Pickens loves football,” Prescott told reporters. “Don’t change your love for football. Don’t get in the business mind of this. You played last year on a one-year for not even that much…So if you can go $30 million or whatever it is now, it’s the same thing I got. Hey, go do it. Bet on yourself. At the end of the day, he is a heck of a player. Hopefully, we can get him long term. If not, the way that he plays the game and the person that he is, he will be just fine.”

Things certainly worked out just fine for Prescott, who followed that four-year, $160 million deal with a four-year, $240 million deal, making him the highest paid player in NFL history with an annual salary of $60 million.

Pickens made $3.65 million in 2025.

Prescott certainly likes the direction the Cowboys are heading in 2026 after a disappointing 7-9-1 campaign in 2025. He is on board with hiring of new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. He loves that running back Javonte Williams has already been signed to a three-year, $24 million contract extension.

And he believes in the promises of Jones to aggressively improve the talent on the roster in free agency and the draft in hopes going deep in the playoffs and possibly making a run to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1995 season.

Dak Prescott when asked if #Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones’ comments about Dallas “being aggressive” in free agency excites him and his teammates: pic.twitter.com/nqCMZgn6ee

— Tommy Yarrish (@tommy_yarrish) March 4, 2026

“We got a coach a coach in his second year,” Prescott said. “We had some ups and downs last year. This is the year we make a big jump. Adding big time players who can help immediately is a key part of that.”