What Does the Franchise Tag Mean in the NFL?

The franchise tag is a designation given by the NFL to a player on a team that restricts the player’s ability to sign with another team. The tag is applied to the player’s contract, and it gives the team the right to match any offer the player may receive from another team. If the team does not match the offer, the player is free to sign with the other team.

Introduction

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 at the end of a league year. It is a tool that allows teams to keep talented players from signing with other squads in exchange for paying them an exorbitant, one-year salary. The tag ensures some degree of stability for rosters from year to year, but it can frustrate both organizations and athletes if used excessively or without regard for long-term planning.

What is the Franchise Tag?

In the NFL, the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player that they do not want to lose in free agency. The tag binds the player to the team for the upcoming season, and the team must pay the player an average of the top five salaries at his position, or 120 percent of his previous salary – whichever is greater.

Types of Franchise Tags

There are two types of franchise tags in the NFL: the exclusive rights franchise tag and the non-exclusive rights franchise tag.

The exclusive rights franchise tag is the more restrictive of the two and prevents the player from negotiating with any other team. The team must also offer the player a one-year contract that is the average of the top five salaries at his position, or 120% of his previous year’s salary – whichever is greater.

The non-exclusive rights franchise tag gives the player some negotiating power as he is able to speak with other teams, but his current team has the right to match any offer he receives. If they choose not to match, they would receive two first-round draft picks as compensation. The player would then be free to sign with any team, but his new team would owe his old team draft picks. The one-year contract offered to the player must be worth the average of the top five salaries at his position, or 120% of his previous year’s salary – whichever figure is greater.

Non-Exclusive Franchise Tag

In the non-exclusive franchise tag, a player is free to negotiate with any team in the league, but if he signs an offer sheet from another team, his current team has the right to match the offer and keep him. If the current team opts not to match, it receives two first-round draft picks as compensation from the signing team.

Exclusive Franchise Tag

The exclusive franchise tag is just like the non-exclusive tag, except that the player is not free to negotiate with other teams. The team must offer the player a one-year contract for an amount no less than the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position, or 120% of the player’s previous salary, whichever is greater.

How is the Franchise Tag Calculated?

The franchise tag is a tool used by NFL teams to retain unsigned players. It allows a team to keep a player for one more year by guaranteeing him a salary that is no less than the average of the top five salaries at his position, or 120 percent of his previous salary, whichever is greater. The player can sign a long-term deal with his team at any time, but if he doesn’t, he must play the upcoming season under the terms of the franchise tag.

What are the Benefits of the Franchise Tag?

The franchise tag is a designation given by an NFL team to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one season, during which he is paid a guaranteed salary that is no less than the average of the top five salaries at his position, or 120 percent of his previous salary — whichever is greater.

What are the Drawbacks of the Franchise Tag?

The Franchise Tag prevents players from becoming free agents and signing with another team. The player is essentially “tagged” for the season and can only play for their current team. While this may seem like a good thing for the team, it can often be a hindrance to the player.

The Franchise Tag can be used on any player that is set to become a free agent. However, it can only be used once per year and can only be used on players that have played out their contract. This means that if a team wants to keep a player on the franchise tag, they will have to pay them an exorbitant amount of money. This often leads to players feeling undervalued and unloved by their team.

The Franchise Tag also puts a lot of pressure on the player to perform at a high level. If they don’t, they risk being released or traded by their team. This can be a very stressful situation for players, and many times leads to them underperforming.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the franchise tag is a designation used by NFL teams to keep certain players from becoming free agents. It allows teams to offer players a one-year contract worth the average of the top five salaries at their position, or 120 percent of their previous salary—whichever is greater. The franchise tag can be used on one player per team each year, and players can be tagged multiple times throughout their career. The franchise tag can be a controversial topic, as some feel that it prevents players from getting the long-term contracts they deserve.