The NFL Offseason: Strategic Moves and the Art of the Franchise Tag
The NFL offseason is a critical period when teams meticulously plan and execute strategies that can redefine their futures. Central to this strategic choreography are franchise tags—a mechanism designed to help teams retain top talent. In 2025, teams will operate within a 15-day window, spanning from February 18 to March 4, to exercise these tags and secure their prized assets.
Franchise tags are available in two forms: exclusive and non-exclusive. The nuances of each dictate player movement and financial strategy. The non-exclusive franchise tag, for instance, is calculated either at 120% of the player’s prior salary or the average of the top five salaries at their position—whichever is greater. This type allows players to entertain offers from other teams, but it grants their current franchise the right to match any lucrative deals.
The exclusive franchise tag, on the other hand, offers the higher of the calculations but restricts the player from negotiating with other teams. This restrictiveness underscores the team's commitment to keeping their talent untouched by rival franchises.
Adding another layer to the strategic arsenal is the transition tag, which is calculated using the average of the top ten salaries at the player's position. While transition tags also include a 120% provision, they don't provide compensatory picks if teams fail to match offers from competitors.
Recent patterns reveal a cyclical approach to employing franchise tags. Previously, "the franchise tag operated more like it was originally intended," noted a source, indicating that its use was more judicious, reflecting its original purpose of temporary retention rather than long-term commitment. Over the past three seasons, franchise tags have been deployed 22 times, with an average of seven applications annually.
An analysis of recent years indicates a hesitancy in securing long-term deals for players initially retained through franchise tags. Between 2021 and 2023, fewer than half of these tagged players transitioned to longer-term agreements. Notably, in a recent year, seven out of eight players with franchise tags did manage to secure multiyear contracts, suggesting a shift or anomaly in negotiation outcomes.
In the broader financial landscape, the projected NFL salary cap for 2025 stands between $265 million and $275 million. This imposes added pressure on managerial decisions regarding franchise tags, trades, and salary negotiations.
One of the intriguing narratives this offseason centers on Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings. Currently on a $10 million one-year "bridge" deal, Darnold's potential departure could free up as much as $65 million in cap space for the Vikings. While letting him walk in free agency might make fiscal sense, "there's a possibility that the Vikings wouldn't get a 2026 compensatory draft pick," remarked a source, highlighting a downside to this strategy.
Darnold's status as possibly "the top quarterback available on the open market" presents the Vikings with a complex calculus of risk and reward. Using a franchise tag to trade him emerges as a legitimate option. This scenario underscores the multifaceted utility of the franchise tag beyond its apparent simplicity.
Elsewhere, salary cap dynamics create unique challenges for some players. Chris Godwin, a notable talent, faces a particularly daunting scenario if tagged again, owing to prohibitive calculation methods. On the other side of the ledger, the Cincinnati Bengals made headlines by placing a $21.816 million franchise tag on Tee Higgins, underscoring their commitment to keeping their core intact.
Meanwhile, changes in team compositions and player affiliations, such as Russell Wilson’s transition to the Pittsburgh Steelers from the Denver Broncos, are unfolding dramas that further spice up the offseason narrative.
As teams navigate these intricate webs of player contracts and salary caps, each decision carries the weight of future aspirations and current realities. The strategic deployment of franchise tags and the outcomes they yield will undoubtedly continue to shape the landscape of the NFL, proving once more the offseason's pivotal role in the league's enduring saga.