NFL Franchise Tag: The offseason is getting started for the NFL, and that means you’re going to be hearing a lot of words that may be unfamiliar like franchise tag, for example.
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Free agency and the NFL draft are the next big things everyone will be looking out for as we won’t have a single day of football till September of this year.
That’s a long time, unfortunately, but there will be plenty of drama and intrigue to keep up with this offseason. We already received the first blow of the year when Tom Brady decided to retire before the Super Bowl, and now, we may be on the verge of Aaron Rodgers retiring too.
Other than that, we could see some changes in the quarterback landscape of the league as teams like the Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers, and Denver Broncos are all expected to make some aggressive plays for top tier names (potentially including Aaron Rodgers or Deshaun Watson). Another thing to watch out for will be which players get the franchise tag.
Also Read: Will Antonio Brown ever play again after acusing Tom Brady and Tampa Bay on Instagram story?
What is the NFL franchise tag and which players could receive it?
The franchise tag window opened on February 22nd, meaning teams can officially place the tag down on any one player on their team.
But, what does it mean for a player to franchise tag a player? Essentially, a franchise tag boils down to a way a team can retain a player without having to pay them their expected market value which could be much higher.
The tag stops the player from going into free agency and provides them with a guaranteed contract for one year. Each team can only franchise tag one player every season.
Additionally, there are three kinds of franchise tags. The first is a non-exclusive franchise tag where the player receives a one year tender valued at the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position from the last five years, or 120% of the player’s last contract, whichever value ends up being higher. Additionally, the player is allowed to negotiate with other teams, but the team placing the tag has the right to match any offer or receive two draft picks as compensation for the player leaving.
The exclusive franchise tag allows a team to retain the sole rights of the player being tagged. In order to compensate for this exclusivity, the player gets a rise in pay equal to the value of the top five players at his position in the current year (instead of the last five years) or 120% of his last contract, whichever value ends up being higher. Fewer players receive this sort of tag due to the increase in pay level.
The third type is a transition tag where the player receives a new one year tender worth the average of the top 10 average salaries of his position. Additionally, the team is granted the right of first refusal should any team make any offer to the player, but the team won’t receive any compensation if they don’t match the offer.
So, now that you know what franchise tags are, which players are set to receive them? The biggest names rumored to receive the tag right now are Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams, New England Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson, Kansas City Chiefs tackle Orlando Brown, and Arizona Cardinals defensive edge Chandler Jones.
Jessie Bates of the Cincinnati Bengals is another name to look out for as after his stellar season, the Bengals would want to lock him up while still having room to improve the offensive line. Mike Williams from the Los Angeles Chargers and Harold Landry from the Tennessee Titans could be other potential targets as well.
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