A total of 10 players were tagged by NFL franchises prior to the deadline on Tuesday. There were some important athletes tagged by their teams, while some notable players are free to open talks with others in the offseason.
The question is: who made the cut? We’ll tell you everyone who will be staying with their franchise for another year, along with others who
Franchise Tags
Before we get into it, it’s worth noting the different types of franchise tags available to NFL teams.
Teams have three different tag options, all of which are briefly explained below.
Exclusive Franchise Tag: Any player with an exclusive franchise tag will either pay a player the average salary of the top-five highest paid players at his position, or 120% of their previous salary – whichever value is higher. There is no negotiation with other clubs, and can either sign the deal, sign a new contract or hold out. (For example, Dak Prescott’s new deal)
Non-Exclusive Franchise Tag: Salary implications are the same as the exclusive tag, but other franchises can attempt to sign the player. If successful, the team signing the player must trade two first-round draft picks as compensation.
Transition Franchise Tag: With a transition tag, the player involved will be paid the average salary of the top 10 highest-earning players at his position. Players can still negotiate with other teams in search of a new contract, and the athlete’s current team can either match any contract offers, or let him go without having to compensate with any trades.
Who’s been tagged?
In a time where some tough decisions have to be made, some teams have opted to tag players running out of a contract to keep them for the 2021 season.
In no particular order, here were the 10 players tagged by their franchise teams before the deadline:
- Dak Prescott, QB. Dallas Cowboys
- Allen Robinson II, WR. Chicago Bears
- Chris Godwin, WR. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Justin Simmons, S. Denver Broncos
- Leonard Williams, DL. New York Giants
- Marcus Williams, S. New Orleans Saints
- Marcus Maye, S. New York Jets
- Brandon Scherff, OL. Washington
- Taylor Moton, OL. Carolina Panthers
- Cam Robinson, OL. Jacksonville Jaguars
There has been a sense of relief from Cowboys fans last night, with Dak and Dallas agreeing a new four-year contract extension worth $160million. The franchise tag was placed as procedure after the two parties agreed to the contract.
Elsewhere, the Super Bowl champions managed to tag receiver Chris Godwin, who had an exceptional year in their championship campaign. Fellow wide receiver was tagged by his team, the Bears, to keep him for at least another year to continue their build.
There were a few safeties also involved with tags, such as the Broncos managing to tag safety Justin Simmons – one of the franchise’s better players.
Who wasn’t franchise tagged?
There were a number of players left untagged by their franchises, meaning they are now allowed to test the market and look elsewhere for a new NFL team.
Notable names include star league running backs Aaron Jones (Green Bay Packers) and Chris Carson (Seattle Seahawks), meaning both could feature in a new roster come the start of the 2021 NFL season.
Also included in the running backs list of those left untagged includes the Cardinals’ Kenyan Drake. In terms of receivers, high-profile names Kenny Golladay – who had an impressive 2020 season – and Will Fuller (who missed the final six games due to a doping suspension) have not been tagged by their respective franchises, so have the chance to look elsewhere.
The Pittsburgh Steelers refrained from tagging veteran linebacker Bud Dupree, as well as receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, meaning both elite athletes could be playing for new teams at the beginning of next season.
NFL teams across the league now have until mid-July to reach an agreement over contract offers with those players left untagged.
