What Is the Franchise Tag in the NFL?

The franchise tag is a designation given by the NFL to a player that allows their team to keep them for another year.

Introduction

In professional football, the franchise tag is a tool used by teams to retain prized free agents. The tag binds the player to the team for one year, at a salary that is determined by the league and calculated using a formula based on the salaries of the league’s highest-paid players at the player’s position.

What is the Franchise Tag?

In the National Football League, the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player about to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are not met.

The Franchise Tag Explained

In the National Football League (NFL), the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player entering the last year of his contract. The tag binds the player to the team for one year and pays him an average of the top five salaries at his position, or 120 percent of his previous salary, whichever is greater. Players have no say in whether they receive the tag, and most resent being forced to stay with a team when they could potentially earn more money elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent.

How the Franchise Tag Works

In the National Football League (NFL), the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are not met.

When a player is given the franchise tag, the team must offer him a one-year contract that is equal to the average of the five highest-paid players at his position, or 120 percent of his previous salary — whichever is greater. The player can sign this contract, or he can try to negotiate a long-term deal with the team. If he does not reach an agreement with the team, he must play under the terms of the one-year contract.

There are two types of franchise tags — exclusive and non-exclusive. The exclusive tag prevents the player from negotiating with any other team. The non-exclusive tag allows the player to negotiate with other teams, but if he signs an offer sheet from another team, his current team has seven days to match the offer and keep him. If the team does not match the offer, it receives two first-round draft picks as compensation from the signing team.

Pros and Cons of the Franchise Tag

The franchise tag is a tool that NFL teams can use to keep a player from hitting free agency. It’s a one-year contract offer that is the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position. The player can either sign the contract or play the season under the tag and then hit free agency the following year. The franchise tag can be used on one player per year and it’s a way for teams to keep their best players. However, it’s not all good. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the franchise tag.

Pros of the Franchise Tag

The franchise tag can be a positive tool for both the NFL team and the player. When used correctly, it allows the team to keep a key player on the roster for another season while giving the player a significant raise. The tag also gives the team another year to work on a long-term deal with the player or to decide if they want to keep him around long-term.

In some cases, the franchise tag can also motivate a player to sign a long-term deal with the team. If a player is unhappy with being tagged, he may be more likely to sign a long-term deal in order to avoid being tagged again next season. This gives the team some leverage in negotiations and can help them get a better deal than they might otherwise have been able to get.

The franchise tag can also be used as a way to buy time. If a team is not sure if a player is worth signing to a long-term deal, they can use the tag as a way to keep him on the roster for another season while they make their decision. This gives them more time to evaluate his play and determine if he is someone they want on the team long-term.

Cons of the Franchise Tag

1. Limited negotiating power – If a player is unhappy with the amount of money being offered by their team, they have very little negotiating power if they are given the franchise tag. The team can essentially low-ball the player and know that they are unlikely to receive a better offer from another team.

2. Can be viewed as a lack of faith – Being given the franchise tag can sometimes be seen as a lack of faith from the team in the player’s ability to perform long-term. This can create tension between the player and the team and make it difficult for the player to focus on their game.

3. Limited number of tags available – Each team only has a limited number of franchise tags available to them each year, so they must carefully choose who to use them on. If a team misuse or overuses their franchise tags, it can limit their ability to keep other key players long-term.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the franchise tag is a tool used by NFL teams to keep their best players from leaving via free agency. It guarantees the team a one-year contract with the player, at a salary that is determined by the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position, or 120% of the player’s previous salary (whichever is greater). The franchise tag can be used once per year on any unsigned free agent.