In the National Football League (NFL), the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team has one franchise tag (of either the exclusive or non-exclusive forms) and one transition tag per year.
Full Answer
What is a NFL franchise tag, how does it work?
The franchise tag is essentially a one-year contract that guarantees a predetermined salary for players who are set to become unrestricted free agents. The salary amount is set by the averaging the top five salaries by position for the previous league year, or if it’s higher, 120 percent of the player’s salary the previous season.
What is the meaning of franchise tag mean in the NFL?
In the National Football League (NFL), the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent . The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team only has one franchise tag (of either the exclusive or non-exclusive forms) and one transition tag per year.
What is the most expensive NFL franchise?
The most valuable NFL franchises according to Forbes
- Dallas Cowboys Current Value: $4.0 billion Aaron M. Sprecher/NFL 2 / 32
- New England Patriots Current Value: $3.2 billion David Goldman/Associated Press 3 / 32
- Washington Redskins Current Value: $2.85 billion Evan Vucci/Associated Press 4 / 32
- New York Giants Current Value: $2.8 billion Ric Tapia/NFL 5 / 32
How many franchise tags per team?
The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team has one franchise tag (of either the exclusive or non-exclusive forms) and one transition tag per year.
What is the meaning of the franchise tag?
The meaning of the franchise tag (and the transition tag) is just that: It's a mechanism teams are allowed to use to keep "franchise" designated players off the unrestricted or restricted free-agency markets.
How many times can a team franchise tag a player in the NFL?
(Kirk Cousins can tell you all about it .) For a player to be franchise tagged two straight years, the team must pay 120 percent of the player's previous salary. If it's three straight years, the team must pay the player 144 percent of his previous salary.
Why do teams tag players?
Because the franchise tag is a tool used by teams to lock players into one-year deals, players generally don't like being tagged. The positive for the players who are tagged is that the one-year deals are guaranteed, and the salaries represent the average of the top five highest-paid players at their positions (if not more). The player's guaranteed salary for that one season is attractive, but such a tag provides the player no long-term security.
What are the different types of tags in the NFL?
There are three types of tags teams could use between Feb. 27 and March 16 — non-exclusive franchise tags, exclusive franchise tags and transition tags. Below are the definitions and rules for all three. (All definitions and rules are from Article 10 of the current NFL/NFLPA collective bargaining agreement.)
How are franchise tenders calculated?
Per OTC, "franchise and transition tenders are calculated by adding the respective tag numbers, divided by the sum of the salary caps, from the previous five seasons, and finally multiplied by the current season's salary cap."
How long is an NFL franchise tender?
Definition and rules: The exclusive franchise tender shall be a one-year NFL player contract for ...
How long is a non-exclusive NFL tender?
Definition and rules: The non-exclusive franchise tender shall be a one-year NFL player contract for ...
What is the NFL franchise tag?
Introduced in 1993, the NFL franchise tag serves as a way for teams to retain the rights of a player set to become an unrestricted free agent.
What are the drawbacks of the NFL franchise tag system?
The highest figure out of those three options provides the player with a substantial payday. However, the absence of long-term financial security stands out as the main drawback of the NFL franchise tag system…at least from a player’s perspective.
What is the difference between a transition tag and a franchise tag?
While the NFL franchise tag guarantees that a team will retain a player’s rights, the transition tag allows for more wriggle room.
Why do NFL teams have free agency?
However, thanks to the franchise tag, NFL teams do have the ability to keep a coveted commodity under team control for at least one more season.
How much does a player get for signing a transition tender?
An NFL player who signs a transition tender receives a one-year salary equal to the cap percentage average of the 10 largest prior-year salaries for players at the position at which he participated in the most plays .
How long does a player get paid for a franchise tender?
Per the CBA, if a player receives a non-exclusive franchise tender, he will get paid a one-year contract based on the average of the five largest prior-year salaries for players at the position at which he participated in the most plays.
When does the transition tag end?
According to the CBA, the transition tag period begins on the 22nd day preceding the first day of the new league year and ends at 4 p.m. EST on the eighth day preceding the new league year.
What is the meaning of the franchise tag?
The meaning of the franchise tag (and the transition tag) is just that: It's a mechanism teams are allowed to use to keep "franchise" designated players off the unrestricted or restricted free-agency markets. Because the franchise tag is a tool used by teams to lock players into one-year deals, players generally don't like being tagged.
How many times can a team franchise tag a player in the NFL?
(Kirk Cousins can tell you all about it .) For a player to be franchise tagged two straight years, the team must pay 120 percent of the player's previous salary. If it's three straight years, the team would need to pay the player 144 percent of his previous salary.
Why do teams tag players?
Because the franchise tag is a tool used by teams to lock players into one-year deals, players generally don't like being tagged. The positive for the players who are tagged is that the one-year deals are guaranteed, and the salaries represent the average of the top five highest-paid players at their positions (if not more). The player's guaranteed salary for that one season is attractive, but such a tag provides the player no long-term security.
What are the different types of tags in the NFL?
There are three types of tags teams could use between Feb. 23 and March 9 — non-exclusive franchise tags, exclusive franchise tags and transition tags. Below are the definitions and rules for all three. (All definitions and rules are from Article 10 of the current NFL/NFLPA collective bargaining agreement.)
How are franchise tenders calculated?
Per Over the Cap, "franchise and transition tenders are calculated by adding the respective tag numbers, divided by the sum of the salary caps, from the previous five seasons, and finally multiplied by the current season's salary cap."
What does transition tag mean?
Meaning : Transition tags pay a player the average of the 10 highest-paid players at his position. A tagged player is allowed to negotiate with other teams. The player’s current team can match any offer given to a transition-tagged player, but the team will not be given compensation if it decides not to match.
When are NFL franchise tags due in 2021?
NFL franchise tags, explained: Meaning, deadlines, updated position values & rules for tags in 2021. NFL teams can place franchise or transition tags on players who were set to become free agents in 2021 in a two-week window from Feb. 23 through March 9. The meaning of the franchise tag (and the transition tag) is just that: It's ...