On Tuesday, the window opened for NFL teams to be able to use the franchise tag or transition tag on one of their impending unrestricted free agents.
The Arizona Cardinals have not used the franchise tag or transition tags since 2020 when they used the transition tag on running back Kenyan Drake. They have not used the franchise tag since they used it on linebacker Chandler Jones in 2017.
It seems unlikely the Cardinals will use any tag on any player this offseason.
The most notable player scheduled to hit free agency is receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. He is a top-20 free agent according to PFF but isn’t worth the amount it would cost to retain him with one of the tags.
According to Over the Cap, the franchise tag would cost the Cardinals nearly $20.7 million to keep Brown for another season. The transition tag would pay him almost $19.4 million.
Brown only had 51 receptions for 574 yards and four touchdowns in 2023, hardly what a $20 million receiver would produce in a season.
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