The two-week NFL franchise tag window begins Tuesday and ends at 4 p.m. ET on March 4. During that period, each team can tag one player who is set to become an unrestricted free agent. This would keep the player with the franchise through the 2025 season.
Franchise tag amounts are based on the top five annual earnings at each position, with the price increasing each time a player is tagged. Teams must assess if it is in their best interest to pay the franchise tag fee, extend the player, or perhaps tag him and continue negotiating a long-term
Last year, nine players were tagged, including two who were later traded. The Carolina Panthers traded pass rusher Brian Burns to the New York Giants barely a week after tagging him, and the Kansas City Chiefs traded cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans before March ended.
Here’s an overview of each NFL team and which players are franchise tag candidates:
Buffalo Bills
The Bills signing players to contracts before they become eligible for free agency has had the effect of preventing the franchise tag from being used, allowing the team to continue to draft, develop, and extend players over the years. The franchise tag has not been used in the past seven offseasons under general manager Brandon Beane, and while the Bills face some major decisions in the coming months about the cap and the draft, employing the tag is not one of them. — Alaina Getzenberg.
The Miami Dolphins
The only player worth considering is safety Jevon Holland, but paying almost $20 million after failing to record an interception in 2024 appears ridiculous. This is not to imply Holland isn’t a fine player; the Dolphins should either work out a long-term deal with him or let him test free agency. Miami did not utilize the tag on any of its top free players last offseason, and that trend is unlikely to change this year. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
New England Patriots
This isn’t even a consideration for the Patriots, who have one of the NFL’s smallest free agent classes, led by cornerback Jonathan Jones, defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr., and quarterback Jacoby Brissett. All have been productive in the NFL and might help the team win, but they aren’t of the caliber that would warrant a tag in any negotiations to keep them. — Mike Reiss
New York Jets
Seven starters are about to become unrestricted free agents, and none of them are regarded tag-worthy. The Jets have a new regime, and they want to make changes, not keep veteran players from the previous administration. Cornerback D.J. Reed, 28, is expected to draw a lot of attention on the open market after ranking 14th out of 77 corners in EPA/target (minimum: 250 coverage snaps), according to Next Gen Stats. The price tag for a cornerback is anticipated to approach $20 million, which is too much for the Jets. Reed is likely to test the market. — Rich Cimini
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens have utilized the franchise tag the past two seasons, applying it to quarterback Lamar Jackson in 2023 and defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike last year. However, Baltimore does not have a contender for the tag this offseason, and even if there was, it lacks salary cap capacity. The Ravens’ top free agent is offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley, and the tag for offensive linemen exceeds $25 million. Baltimore is expected to rank among the bottom ten teams in terms of cap space. — Jamison Hensley