The window for NFL teams to use the franchise tag opened on Tuesday, but there aren’t that many players expected to be tagged this offseason.
Teams must decide between now and March 4 whether to use the tag on a player set to become an unrestricted free agent.
However, thanks in part to an infusion of cap space across the league, and the rising one-year salary attached to the tag at key positions, there may be fewer players tagged than usual. Teams can also apply the tag as a placeholder during negotiations on a long-term contract extension.
These are the most likely NFL franchise tag candidates
ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed four players who are most likely to be tagged between now and March 4, when the window closes.
Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold – Darnold is coming off a stellar 2024 campaign, passing for 4,319 yards with 35 touchdowns to 12 interceptions en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance. However, in consecutive losses to end the season, in Week 18 against the Detroit Lions and in the NFC Wild Card Playoffs against the Los Angeles Rams, Darnold was overwhelmed by pressure and the Vikings have telegraphed that the organization seems ready to move on to second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy in 2025. Tagging Darnold feels unlikely.
QB Tag Cost: $41.3 Million
Minnesota Vikings CB Byron Murphy Jr. – Murphy Jr. is an ascending talent at a key position in coordinator Brian Flores‘ defense, and is coming off a really strong 2024 campaign. Last season, Pro Football Focus points out, opposing quarterbacks posted a meager 80.5 passer rating as receivers averaged just 10.5 yards per catch against him. Using the tag on Murphy, 27, would likely be a placeholder to buy time to come to terms on a long-term extension, and he seems a far more likely tag candidate than Darnold.
CB Tag Cost: $20.3 Million
Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins – Multiple reports suggest that the Bengals plan to tag Higgins, for the second consecutive year, as a placeholder to work out a long-term contract extension. There’s little chance that move doesn’t create strife between the team and Higgins, but the Bengals’ $42 million in cap space space gives Cincinnati some options.
WR Tag Cost: $25.6 Million
Kansas City Chiefs OG Trey Smith – Smith is primed to be the most coveted free agent guard on the market once free agency begins, and the Chiefs don’t have the financial resources to use the tag on Smith, at this time. Kansas City is currently projected to be $2.6 million over the cap, so, if the Chiefs hope to keep Smith, they’ll need to get cap-compliant and likely need to agree to terms on a long-term extension with the 25-year-old.
OG Tag Cost: $25.1 million
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