Patriots Officially Miss Out On Top Wide Receiver Target After Big Free Agency Move

The New England Patriots are expected to be active this offseason after coming up just short of winning Super Bowl LX last season. One of their biggest areas of need is at wide receiver, and as a result, the Pats are set to pursue a handful of different targets in free agency, on the trade market, or when they are on the clock in the 2026 NFL Draft.

In free agency, the top available option was set to be George Pickens after he enjoyed a breakout campaign with the Dallas Cowboys in 2025 (93 REC, 1,429 YDS, 9 TD). It always seemed unlikely that the Cowboys would simply let him leave for nothing, though, and sure enough, the team officially slapped the franchise tag on him on Friday morning.

“Cowboys officially place franchise tag on George Pickens,” the NFL announced in a post on X.

While this doesn’t guarantee that Pickens will remain with Dallas, the franchise tag gives it the ability to continue negotiating a long-term contract extension with him. Pickens could still be traded, but after the Cowboys botched their negotiations with Micah Parsons last offseason, it seems unlikely they will make the same mistake this time around.

With Pickens off the board, New England will have to find other targets at this position. On one hand, the team wasn’t linked to him all that heavily, but his talent made him an obvious fit for one of their top areas of need. Missing out on Pickens is a tough blow, but it’s likely an outcome the front office was already planning for.

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