The NFL’s franchise tag deadline has come and gone. Here’s everything you need to know as teams across the league continue to make moves this offseason.
Kansas City Chiefs OL Trey Smith
Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins
This marks the fewest players tagged in a year since 1994, per ESPN.
The Dallas Cowboys worked out a four-year, $80 million deal with defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, who reportedly would have been place on the tag if a deal couldn’t be reached.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, meanwhile, seemed like a straightforward candidate for the tag, so that he and the Vikings could buy more time in trying to work out a longer-term deal. But the $40.2 million number for QBs on the tag (see below) was reportedly too high for the Vikings, and would have limited their ability to build out the rest of the roster.
The franchise tag is a designation NFL teams may use to retain one player set to be an unrestricted free agent and sign them to a set contract for another year. There are exclusive and non-exclusive tags, as well as transition tags.
