The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are placing the franchise tag on star safety Antoine Winfield Jr., per multiple reports.
A first-team All-Pro last season, Winfield has established himself as arguably the best safety in the NFL, putting up historic numbers for the Bucs last season. Winfield’s knack for making big plays in clutch moments led to the former second-round pick out of Minnesota saving multiple games almost single-handedly in 2023.
It’s still expected that Winfield and the Bucs will come to an agreement on a long-term contract that will make him the highest-paid safety in the entire league, but for now, using the franchise tag will give both parties more time to hammer out that bigger deal down the road.
Make no mistake, Winfield isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Buccaneers officially are placing their franchise tag on S Antoine Winfield Jr., but really as a placeholder until the two sides can hammer out a long-term deal that they continue to work on and want to get done, per sources. pic.twitter.com/0DjzQYAvA4
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 5, 2024
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