Today is the first day NFL teams can place the franchise tag on eligible players. The term Franchise Tag (or simply the tag) is often used but not fully understood. There are two franchise tag variations and different salary cap implications.
Before we go into who might get the tag and some recent cases that didn’t go well, let’s talk about the details of the franchise tag.
What is the NFL Franchise Tag?
In a nutshell, a Franchise Tag is a one-year contract that every NFL team can issue once per offseason. It allows a franchise to strategically retain a player on a guaranteed deal with a non-negotiated salary.
There are two variations of the franchise tag.
Exclusive Franchise Tag: This variation of the tag prohibits a player from negotiating with another team and guarantees the player a salary based on the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position during that current year or for 120 percent of the player’s previous salary, whichever number is higher.
Non-Exclusive Franchise Tag: This variation allows players to negotiate with other teams. If a player on a non-exclusive tag agrees to a deal with a new team, the original team can match it or refuse and be awarded two first-round picks as compensation. The salary on a non-exclusive tag is determined by the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position from the previous five years applied to the current salary cap or for 120 percent of the player’s previous salary, whichever number is higher. If the current team does not match the offer from a new team, they will receive two first-round picks in return.
But Wait, There’s More …
Transition Tag: The transition tag is less common than the Non-exclusive Franchise Tag. Under the transition tag, the player is given a one-year deal. The salary is determined by the cap percentage average of the ten largest prior year salaries at a player’s position, or 120 percent of his previous season’s salary, whichever is higher. Using the last ten years of data makes the Transition Tag cheaper than the non-exclusive or exclusive franchise tags. However, there is a catch for the team. Players given the Transition Tag can negotiate with other teams and can be extended an offer sheet. If the player’s current team cannot match the offer, that player is free to sign with the new team, and the current team does not receive any compensation.
2023 Franchise Tag Numbers
Here are the 2024 Franchise Tag costs by position (with the transition tags in parentheses) per OTC:
QB: $36,293,000 ($31,158,000)
LB: $22,926,000 ($18,730,000)
DT: $20,943,000 ($15,798,000)
WR: $20,672,000 ($19,398,000)
DE: $20,205,000 ($20,135,000)
OL: $19,885,000 ($19,718,000)
CB: $18,762,000 ($15,889,000)
S: $16,224,000 ($13,957,000)
TE: $12,027,000 ($10,564,000)
RB: $11,326,000 ($10,104,000)
ST: $5,670,000 ($5,286,000)
Notable 2024 Franchise Tag Candidates
Here are some notable free agents who could have the tag placed on them between now and March 5:
Christian Wilkins, DT (Dolphins): The Dolphins’ first-round pick from 2019 turned in a career season in 2023 with 9.5 sacks despite not being able to come to an agreement on a contract extension last offseason. Miami doesn’t have much money right now (they are $51 million over the cap), but it’s smarter to use the tag on their best player instead of letting him go in free agency. Both sides want him in South Florida long term, so an extension this offseason seems likely.
Kyle Dugger, S (Patriots): The Patriots’ 37th overall draft pick in 2020, Dugger, played the most snaps of any Patriots defender in 2023 and has been improving steadily within the team’s system. He is a four-down safety in his prime years, with his main strengths being run support and tackling. Although he has sometimes been involved in coverage breakdowns.
Bryce Huff, DE (Jets): Huff went from being undrafted to becoming one of the top edge rushers in the league. However, he is unlikely to be tagged for three reasons: The tag is expensive ($23 million) for defensive ends; he only played in 42% of the snaps last season as a rotational end; and Will McDonald IV, the Jets’ 2023 first-round pick, plays the same position. They will try to re-sign Huff before he hits the open market — a risky game to play. Huff (10 sacks) was their best speed rusher, a key piece in their third-ranked defense. McDonald’s track record remains unestablished. They scouted and developed Huff, and it would be a shame to lose him for nothing more than a 2025 compensatory pick.
Justin Madubuike, DT (Ravens): Madubuike is one of the league’s top-five free agents. He had a great season in the final year of his contract. He recorded 13 sacks in 2023, the most by a Baltimore player in nine years. If he hit free agency, he would likely receive a contract that would average over $20 million per season.
Tee Higgins, WR (Bengals): In his end-of-season news conference, quarterback Joe Burrow made it clear he expects Higgins to be back in 2024. To keep Higgins for another season, the Bengals should use the franchise tag since a long-term deal is uncertain. The Bengals have the cap flexibility to keep Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase and Burrow together for another run.
(Photo: Getty Images)
Jonathan Greenard, DE (Texans): The only Texans free agent who would even make sense to tag is Greenard. He had 12.5 sacks, and the tag would cost $20,247,000. That’s roughly the going rate for defensive ends who get double-digit sacks and are effective against the run. The Chicago Bears signed Montez Sweat to a four-year, $98 million deal. He hadn’t reached double-digit sacks in his career until the end of 2023. Tagging Greenard would allow the Texans to assess how much they should pay him or if they should trade him to receive draft compensation.
Michael Pittman Jr., WR (Colts): The franchise tag is a realistic possibility for two reasons. Pittman is thinking about testing the open market, but the Colts may have different plans. Pittman has said that using the franchise tag is an option and could help in reaching an agreement, so it’s not a deal-breaker.
Josh Allen, OLB (Jaguars): Allen had his best season in his career with 17.5 sacks, which set a franchise record. He is also ranked sixth in pressures with 228 and tied for tenth in sacks with 32 in the NFL over the past three seasons. The Jaguars will most likely use the tag on Allen before the window closes on March 5. This will give them extra time to negotiate a contract extension.
L’Jarius Sneed, CB (Chiefs): Tagging Sneed would likely cost the Chiefs over $18 million, making it challenging for the team to afford. This means that they may not be able to keep him if they can’t agree on a long-term deal. The Chiefs drafted four cornerbacks in 2022 and one more last year, so they’ve been preparing to lose Sneed for some time. The cost of putting the franchise tag on Chris Jones would be more than $32 million, making that more unlikely than Sneed.
Josh Jacobs, RB (Raiders): Last season, the Raiders tagged the reigning All-Pro player. However, he did not sign the tag, and he chose to skip the team’s offseason program, training camp, and preseason. Eventually, he agreed to a one-year deal worth $11.791 million, which was $1.7 million more than the original tender. Jacobs had his worst season with 805 rushing yards, 3.5 yards per carry, 6 TDs in 13 games. The Raiders might not have to use the $12.4 million tag on him. They could re-sign him for a lower price.
Saquon Barkley, RB (Giants): The Giants used the franchise tag last year on Barkley at $10.1 million. But that was after a career-best season. The number is now $12.1 million and Barkley had a season with less than 1,000 yards. He is also a year older at 27.
Jaylon Johnson, CB (Bears): General manager Ryan Poles said that the All-Pro cornerback isn’t leaving, and he is optimistic that the Bears and Johnson will reach an agreement. Chicago has the seventh-highest amount of money available to spend (over $46 million) and can keep an important player long-term. If negotiations don’t work out, they can use a franchise tag worth an estimated $18.8 million on their cornerback.
Brian Burns, OLB (Panthers): Burns wants to be among the NFL’s highest-paid edge rushers despite a down season. He says he established his value the previous few seasons. The team didn’t sign a long-term deal with Burns last year. They will probably use a tag to keep negotiating with him before he becomes a free agent.
Antoine Winfield Jr., S (Buccaneers): The Bucs have several important free agents, such as wide receiver Mike Evans, quarterback Baker Mayfield, safety Antoine Winfield Jr., and inside linebacker Lavonte David. But Winfield makes the most sense, as they can franchise tag him at $17.22 million for 2024.
Patrick grew up in Chicago's Bridgeport and Garfield Ridge neighborhoods before moving to the Western Suburbs of Chicago before eventually relocating to the Las Vegas area with his family in 2023. He started with Bleacher Nation in 2021 and has spent time as a Staff Writer and on the Chicago Blackhawks beat. He is currently a writer and editor at Bleacher Nation covering the Chicago Bears and the NFL at large and the author of the Bleacher Nation Newsletter. Patrick is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA).
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