A player can lead the league in sacks, become the centerpiece of an offense or finally look ready for a major payday—and still find himself without a long-term contract. That is where the NFL franchise tag comes in: it gives a team a way to keep a key player for another season while the two sides try to reach a longer agreement.
What the franchise tag means
The franchise tag is a contract designation an NFL team can use to retain one player who is about to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag is generally a one-year contract offer, with a salary determined by the league’s rules and the player’s position. If the player signs it, he is under contract for that season at the tender amount.
The tag gives the team more time to negotiate, but it does not guarantee that a long-term deal will follow. A player can sign the one-year offer and play, keep negotiating within the permitted window, or decline to sign. Until he signs a contract, he cannot play for the team.
The three types of tag
Teams can use one franchise or transition designation per offseason. The main difference between the tags is how the salary is calculated and, for nonexclusive and transition tags, what happens if another team tries to sign the player.
| Tag | How it works | What happens if another team makes an offer |
|---|---|---|
| Exclusive franchise tag | Usually sets a higher salary based on the top salaries at the player’s position for the current league year, subject to the league’s formula. | The player cannot negotiate with other teams. |
| Nonexclusive franchise tag | Uses a different top-five salary calculation, generally based on a multi-year period, or a specified percentage of the player’s prior salary—whichever applies under the rules. | The player may negotiate with other teams. His current club can match a qualifying offer or receive two first-round draft picks if it declines. |
| Transition tag | Generally uses a top-10 salary calculation at the position, or the applicable prior-salary percentage. | The original team can match an offer, but if it does not, it receives no draft-pick compensation. |
The precise tender amounts change each year and depend on the league’s salary formulas. That is why a tag that looks like a bargain for one position can be extremely costly at another. Quarterbacks, for example, tend to command much higher salaries than many other positions.
How the process works
- The team applies the designation. The NFL sets an offseason window for teams to use a franchise or transition tag.
- The team offers the one-year tender. The salary is tied to the player’s position and the relevant league formula.
- The sides negotiate. They may work toward a multiyear contract, which can offer the player more security and give the team a different way to manage its salary cap.
- The player signs, waits or reaches a new deal. If he signs the tender, he plays under that one-year contract. If he does not, he remains unsigned and cannot take part in games.
There is usually a mid-July deadline for a tagged player and team to agree to a multiyear contract during that season’s negotiating period. After that deadline, they generally cannot make a multiyear deal until the season is over; the player can still sign the one-year tender. Specific dates and procedures should be checked against the current league calendar and collective bargaining agreement.
A tagged player who has not signed also faces an in-season cutoff. Under league rules, a player who remains unsigned past the deadline after the 10th week of the regular season is not eligible to play that season. So declining the tender can create leverage, but it can also mean missing the entire year.
Why teams use it—and why players may dislike it
For a team, the tag can prevent a valuable player from reaching the open market before the club is ready to finalize a long-term contract. It can be especially useful when the team and player disagree on the player’s value, or when the club wants another season to judge his performance, health or fit in the scheme.
For the player, a one-year tender can provide a large salary for that season, but it offers less long-term security than a multiyear contract. A serious injury could affect the player’s future earning power, and the tag can limit his ability to choose a new team. The relationship can also grow tense if negotiations stall.
Repeated tags can become increasingly expensive under the league’s rules, which is one reason teams are cautious about using them on the same player year after year. The tag is a short-term tool, not a substitute for a contract plan. It can also affect a team’s salary-cap choices, because committing a large one-year salary to one player leaves less room for other roster needs.
Examples from the NFL
Kirk Cousins was franchise-tagged by Washington in consecutive seasons, playing under the tag in 2016 and 2017 before joining the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent in 2018. His case showed how a team can retain a quarterback for another season without securing a long-term agreement—and how the player may eventually reach the market if negotiations do not produce one.
Le’Veon Bell’s 2018 season illustrated the risk of refusing to sign. The Pittsburgh Steelers had tagged the running back, but Bell did not sign the tender and sat out the season. He gave up that year’s playing salary, while the team kept his rights for the season. It was an unusual and high-stakes choice, not a routine strategy for every tagged player.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can a player refuse the franchise tag?
A player can refuse to sign the tender, but he cannot play for the team without a signed contract. If he remains unsigned beyond the applicable in-season deadline, he is not eligible to play that season.
Can another team sign a franchise-tagged player?
It depends on the tag. A player with a nonexclusive tag can negotiate with other teams, but his original team may match a qualifying offer. If it declines, it is entitled to two first-round picks. An exclusive-tagged player cannot negotiate with other teams, while a transition-tagged player can receive an offer that his original team may match; the team receives no draft picks if it lets him leave.
Does the franchise tag guarantee a multiyear contract?
No. It is a one-year designation. The player and team may agree to a longer deal, but neither side is guaranteed to do so.
Can a team tag more than one player in an offseason?
Generally, a team can designate one player as its franchise or transition player in an offseason—not one of each.
Final Thoughts
The franchise tag is a way for an NFL team to keep a player for another season while preserving time to negotiate. It can give the club control and the player a substantial one-year salary, but it also puts pressure on both sides to settle questions of value, security and future plans. When you hear that a player has been tagged, the key details are which tag he received, whether he has signed it and whether the team can still reach a long-term deal.
Aiden Cross is a sports writer and editor at BeliveSports, covering a broad range of sports with a focus on clear, accurate, and practical information. His work covers rules, techniques, player roles, competitions, equipment, statistics, and the details that help readers better understand how different sports are played. Aiden takes a research-driven approach to sports writing, using reliable sources and established sporting information to provide context rather than simply repeating surface-level facts. His goal is to make complex topics accessible while maintaining the accuracy and depth expected by knowledgeable sports fans. At BeliveSports, Aiden contributes to the site’s editorial standards by focusing on accuracy, clarity, useful context, and reader-first explanations.