What’s a Franchise Tag in the NFL?

The franchise tag is a designation given by the NFL to a player on a team that prevents that player from becoming a free agent.

What is a Franchise Tag?

In the National Football League (NFL), a franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of a season. It promises the player a one-year contract for an amount no less than the average of the five largest previous year’s salaries at the player’s position, or 120% of the player’s previous salary, whichever is greater. The tag prevents the player from negotiating with any team other than their current team for one year.

How does the Franchise Tag work?

In short, the franchise tag is a one-year contract extension that the team can offer to a player that is scheduled to become a free agent. If the player accepts the extension, they are effectively signed with the team for another season. If the player declines the extension, they become a free agent and can sign with any team that they choose.

The main reason that teams use the franchise tag is to retain players that they do not want to lose in free agency. For example, if a team has a star wide receiver that is scheduled to become a free agent, they may use the franchise tag on him in order to keep him with the team for another season.

There are two types of franchise tags that teams can use: the exclusive rights franchise tag and the non-exclusive rights franchise tag.

The exclusive rights franchise tag essentially prevents the player from signing with any other team. The only way that the player can leave is if they are released by the team.

The non-exclusive rights franchise tag allows the player to sign with another team, but if they do so, the original team has the right to match any contract offer that is made. If the original team elects not to match the contract offer, then they will receive compensation in the form of draft picks from the signing team.

What are the benefits of the Franchise Tag?

The Franchise Tag is a designation given by the NFL to a player that is considered to be one of the best at their position. The benefits of being tagged are that the player is given a one-year contract worth the average salary of the top 5 players at their position. For example, if the average salary for a quarterback is $20 million, then the player tagged as a quarterback would receive a $20 million contract for that year.

The main benefit of the tag for the team is that it allows them to keep their best players without having to commit to a long-term contract. This gives the team flexibility in terms of how they want to use their salary cap space.

The downside of being tagged is that it prevents players from hitting free agency and signing with another team. This can be frustrating for players who feel like they deserve a bigger contract than what they are currently earning.

Overall, the Franchise Tag is a way for teams to keep their best players on short-term deals. It gives teams flexibility in how they use their salary cap space, but it can also be frustrating for players who want to test the open market.

What are the drawbacks of the Franchise Tag?

The main drawback of the franchise tag is that it restricts a player’s ability to negotiate a long-term contract. While the player may receive a large salary under the franchise tag, he may be looking for the security of a long-term deal. In addition, the use of the franchise tag can create bad blood between a player and his team.

How does the Franchise Tag affect a team’s salary cap?

The salary cap is the amount of money that an NFL team can spend on player salaries in a given year. The franchise tag is a tool that teams can use to keep one of their best players from becoming a free agent and leaving the team. When a team uses the franchise tag on a player, they are essentially saying that they are willing to pay that player the average salary of the top five players at his position in the NFL. This number can change from year to year, but it is always determined before the start of free agency.

The franchise tag prevents a player from becoming a free agent and negotiating with other teams. However, it does not prevent the player from holding out for a better contract. In fact, many players who have been franchise tagged have chosen to hold out for a better deal. The franchise tag can also be used as motivation for a player to sign a long-term contract with his current team.

What happens if a team doesn’t use the Franchise Tag?

If a team allows a player with the Franchise Tag to become an Unrestricted Free Agent, they will receive no compensation in return.

How many times can a team use the Franchise Tag?

A team can use the Franchise Tag on a player an unlimited number of times, but it must be used wisely. If a team uses the tag on a player too often, it will eventually cost the team more money in salary cap space.

What are some of the notable players who have been Franchised?

In order to keep star players from reaching free agency, teams will often times use the franchise tag on players. The franchise tag is a tool that allows NFL teams to keep impending free agents by paying them an average of the top five salaries at their position, or 120 percent of their previous salary — whichever is greater.

The transition tag is similar to the franchise tag, but it gives the team that uses it the right of first refusal — not exclusive negotiation rights — to a player. If another team offers the player a contract, the transition-tagged team can either match that offer and keep the player or receive two first-round draft picks as compensation.

Since 2012, there have been 97 players who have received the franchise tag. Some notable names on that list includeDez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, Julius Peppers, Le’Veon Bell and Kirk Cousins.

What are some of the notable players who have not been Franchised?

Not every great player gets Franchised. In fact, some of the best never do. Here are a few notable examples of NFL stars who were never Franchised:

-Barry Sanders: One of the greatest running backs of all time, Sanders was never Franchised by the Detroit Lions. He retired abruptly after the 1998 season, leaving many to wonder what could have been.

-Randy Moss: A transcendent talent at wide receiver, Moss was never Franchised by the Minnesota Vikings or any other team. He bounced around the league late in his career, but his prime years were spent in Minnesota.

-Jared Allen: Another great pass rusher who was never Franchised, Allen spent most of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings. He was a feared edge rusher who tallied double-digit sacks in eight different seasons.

What are some of the recent changes to the Franchise Tag rules?

In 2020, the NFL made a few changes to the franchise tag rules. The biggest change is that teams can now use the tag on only one player per offseason, instead of two. This change is designed to give teams more flexibility in how they use the tag, and to make it more difficult for teams to keep star players from leaving in free agency.

Another change is that the deadline for applying the franchise tag has been moved up from March 5th to February 16th. This will give teams more time to negotiate with potential free agents before having to use the tag.

Finally, the NFL has created a new type of franchise tag called the “non-exclusive” tag. This type of tag allows players to negotiate with other teams, but gives their current team the right to match any offer made by another team. If the player’s current team does not match an offer made by another team, they will receive two first-round draft picks as compensation.