The NFL’s franchise tag serves many purposes despite a simple premise. On its face, it’s a one-year deal that ties a pending free agent to his previous team at the cost of the average of the league’s top five salaries at his position.
In practice, it can be used many different ways. Some times it’s a life preserver thrown out to increase the amount of time a superstar and a club hopeful to keep him have to work out a long term, big money contract. Other times it’s a chain that keeps players tethered to franchises that can’t afford them in the long run for one last season. And sometimes Bill Belichick uses it to make sure no one poaches his kicker.
It's honestly hilarious that Bill Belichick has THRICE used the franchise tag on kickers. (Yes, I just used the word "thrice.") https://t.co/GwQB0KI0X5
— Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis) February 22, 2022
The 2022 offseason will usher in another round of tags. Some will be precursors to megadeals. Others will simply be a last gasp between team and player. If we’re lucky, we might even get a superstar trade out of it.
Who are this year’s most likely candidates to earn a big, fully guaranteed, but fleeting deal? These are the names currently underlined on white boards in NFL front offices across the league.