With the 2026 NFL Draft completed, teams are now able to focus on securing veterans to long-term contracts. A flurry of big-money deals are expected as training camp approaches. These deals include lucrative second contracts being signed before rookie pacts expire.
Franchise-tagged players are also worth watching each offseason. These veterans have been kept off the free-agent market. They are generally of a higher calibre than most free agents, and would likely have fetched a premium price if available to all teams.
This year, Breece Hall was one of four players to be tagged. He was tagged by the Jets.
Hall’s Contract Deadline Looms
Teams have until July 15 to agree a multi-year deal with franchise-tagged players. If no deal is reached, the players will play on a one-year tender. The pact can be adjusted after the deadline, but its length cannot go beyond a single season.
Pickens’ Situation
The Cowboys have stated that they don’t plan to sign George Pickens to a multi-year extension this offseason. Pickens recently signed his $27.3 million tender, opening the door for offseason work or a possible trade. Tenders must be signed for players to be traded, though the Cowboys have rebuffed this idea. He could still skip offseason work, but would be subject to fines if he misses mandatory minicamp or any of training camp.
The pros for the Cowboys keeping Pickens on a one-year deal are pretty straightforward. He joined the club with a history of off-field drama and was coming off a down final season in Pittsburgh. He put up 1,429 yards with the Cowboys in 2025, but they surely will want him to do it again before potentially committing big money to him. In a sense, it’s an expensive prove-it contract, but it keeps the carrot in front of the former second-rounder.
The negative is that it means another year of contract chatter surrounding a key Cowboys player. Overtly stating they aren’t negotiating a long-term deal will tamp down some of the questions this offseason, but the situation will still cast a shadow over the entire campaign, whether Pickens plays well or not.
If he puts up another outstanding season with Dak Prescott, the d
Daniel Jones already turned his transition tag into a two-year, $88 million pact — his injury changed the calculus this offseason.
After being kept off the free-agent market, these veterans are in their own category. They’re typically of a higher caliber than most free agents, and they likely would have fetched a premium price if available to all teams — SEE: the three-year, $81 million deal given by the Raiders to Tyler Linderbaum. Players who are tagged after the expiration of their rookie deal certainly see a one-year pay increase, but it’s generally lower than what they might have made in free agency.