NFL Offseason Moves: Franchise Tag Strategies and Market Implications
The NFL offseason serves as a crucial period for teams to strategize and make decisions that can significantly influence their future trajectories. A key component of these strategies is the use of franchise tags—a tool designed to help teams retain top talent while navigating the complexities of salary caps and player negotiations.
Understanding the Franchise Tag
In 2025, the NFL provides teams with a 15-day window, from February 18 to March 4, to apply franchise tags. These tags come in two versions: exclusive and non-exclusive. The non-exclusive tag allows players to negotiate with other teams while giving their current team the right to match any offers, calculated based on the higher of 120% of the player's prior salary or the average of the top five salaries at their position. The exclusive tag, on the other hand, restricts player negotiations with other teams, ensuring the player receives the higher of similar calculations.
Meanwhile, the transition tag, which uses the average of the top ten salaries at the player's position and a 120% provision, offers teams an opportunity to retain players albeit without compensatory benefits if offers are not matched. As teams weigh these options, they must consider the value each player brings in comparison to the financial impact on their salary cap.
Recent Trends and Player Decisions
Recent years have illustrated varying outcomes for the use of franchise tags. A striking fact is that seven out of eight tagged players in a recent year managed to secure multiyear agreements, reflecting a favorable trend for long-term player retention. However, between 2021 and 2023, fewer than half of tagged players transitioned to longer-term deals, highlighting the uncertainty and complexity involved in these negotiations.
Franchise tags have been employed 22 times over the past three seasons, averaging about seven applications per season. The effectiveness and outcomes of this strategy depend largely on the unique circumstances surrounding each player and team.
Financial Considerations in a Projected Salary Cap Environment
The financial aspect of franchise tags cannot be discussed without mentioning the salary cap, which for 2025 is projected to be between $265 million and $275 million. This provides teams with both a challenge and an opportunity; strategic management of these caps can influence the players a team can retain or attract.
For instance, Sam Darnold's situation with the Minnesota Vikings illustrates the financial implications of player movement. Darnold is currently on a $10 million one-year "bridge" deal with the Vikings. However, if he leaves, the Vikings could free up an impressive $65 million in cap space. Yet, choosing not to tag Darnold could mean missing out on a 2026 compensatory draft pick. As one source notes, "There's a possibility that the Vikings wouldn't get a 2026 compensatory draft pick by letting Darnold walk in free agency."
Implications for Key Players
Another notable situation concerns Chris Godwin, for whom repeated tagging creates a financially "unaffordable scenario" due to the calculation methods at play. The strategy surrounding such high-caliber players is often complex and involves both financial acumen and a deep understanding of a player’s potential contributions.
Similarly, the Cincinnati Bengals faced financial deliberation when applying a $21.816 million franchise tag on Tee Higgins. Decisions like these are pivotal, as they balance securing an immediate, standout performer against potential long-term financial constraints.
The Broader NFL Landscape
The NFL's landscape is continuously shaped by these intricate decisions, reflecting broader market dynamics and individual team strategies. The franchise tag, as one anonymous source aptly put it, "operated more like it was originally intended this year," ensuring teams have the opportunity to retain talent while not entirely closing off market opportunities for the players.
As the offseason progresses, teams will continue to use these strategic tools to manage their rosters and salary caps effectively. The stories of players like Russell Wilson, who now finds his home with the Pittsburgh Steelers after leaving the Denver Broncos, remind us of the shifting sands in the NFL and the critical role that offseason decisions play in determining team success. These moves, both anticipated and unexpected, ultimately define the competitive landscape of professional football.