The NFL Franchise Tag is used every offseason in free agency, but what exactly does it mean, how does it work, and when can teams use it?
If you’ve been trying to keep up with NFL news this offseason, especially before free agency begins on March 15, you’ve likely heard about the Franchise Tag. This is one of the most useful tools that freelancers have at their disposal.
But if you’re not familiar with the jargon, it can be a little confusing what’s going on with this tag, especially since there are two types, exclusive and non-exclusive, in addition to the transition tag. We’ve seen the Franchise Tag used with big names like Dak Prescott with the Cowboys, Kirk Cousins in Washington, and many, many others.
So if you need to know what an NFL Franchise Tag is, what the details are about the different types, what dates to know and the values at each position, we’ve got you covered with all the info on the tag to guide you through the 2023 season. out of season.
What is an NFL franchise tag?
Simply put, this tag is a one-year contract. Each NFL team is allowed to use it once per offseason, though they are not required to. The benefit of this is often a player who is slated to enter free agency at the start of the new league year, but the team wants to keep them in order to either keep them on the roster for one more season at market value, or to have more time to negotiate a long-term contract. Only players who become unrestricted free agents are allowed to be tagged by league rules.
What is the exclusive franchise tag in the NFL?
An exclusive iteration of the most commonly used tag means that the player cannot negotiate with other teams. More importantly, if a player does not come to terms with the team that placed the tag on him, his salary for the upcoming season will be the average of the top five players at that position in average annual value. year or 120% of the player’s previous year’s salary. Whichever total amount is higher, it is the salary that will be set for a one-year contract.
What is a non-exclusive franchise tag in the NFL?
Although the salary rules for a non-exclusive label are the same as for an exclusive, the negotiation rules are different. If a player is tagged with a non-exclusive tag, he is allowed to negotiate with other teams. If one of the other 31 teams offers the player a contract, the player’s former team that placed the tag on them has two options: match the contract or opt out and receive two first-round picks from the team that signed the player. .
NFL Franchise Tag Values 2023: Salary by Position
Given that tag value is set by the average of position contracts, the salaries of franchise tag players vary by season. We know now values for the 2023 seasonhowever, and here’s what they are by position.
- QB: $32.416 million
- RB: $10.091 million
- WR: $19.743 million
- TE: $11.345 million
- OL: $18.244 million
- DE: $19.743 million
- DT: $18.937 million
- LB: $20.926 million
- CB: $18.14 million
- S: $14.46 million
- P/K: $5.393 million
Quarterbacks clearly dominate the market in terms of value, but there’s no sleeping on the offensive line and defensive end, as each, along with the wide receivers, is on the $20 million-a-year mark playing on the tag.
NFL Franchise Tag. Key dates, deadlines for the 2023 offseason
Teams were able to begin using the franchise tag on Tuesday, February 21. Teams will have until Tuesday, March 7, two weeks from the date they were eligible to start using the tag, to choose to use the tag. player The player and team will then be able to sign any player who has been tagged to a long-term contract. However, if a contract is not reached by July 15 at 4:00 p.m. ET, the player will play out the 2023 season on the tag.
Can players be tagged with a franchise more than once?
Yes, but it will cost you, or it will cost the team.
A player can be tagged in consecutive years, but the second year of the tag will cost the team 120% of the previous year’s salary. If some organization violently paid 144% of the previous year’s salary.
NFL Franchise Tag Candidates 2023
While this is not a complete list, here is a large group of players who could be tagged by their respective teams in the 2023 offseason.
- Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
- Daniel Jones or Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
- Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys
- Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
- Orlando Brown, Kansas City Chiefs
- Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders