The NFL franchise tag is more expensive this season
The franchise tag season is getting underway on Tuesday. This is a chance for teams to hold onto a player for another season when the team, and usually an elite player, cannot come to an agreement on a long-term contract. The prices have gone up in 2023 after the inflated salary cap.
There are two types of franchise tags. Exclusive and non-exclusive. Charlotte Edmonds with NBC Sports does a great breakdown of the difference between the franchise tags:
“Exclusive: Teams must offer the selected player a one-year contract no less than either the average of the top-five salaries at that player’s position based on April of the current year or 120% of the player’s previous year’s salary, whichever is greater.
Non-exclusive: Teams must offer the selected player a one-year contract no less than the average of the top-five cap hits of that player’s positions or 120% of the player’s previous year’s salary, whichever is greater.”
What the franchise tag costs at each position
According to Field Yates with ESPN, the quarterback position will be the highest-paid position for the tag:
- Quarterback: $32.416M
- Running Back: $10.091M
- Wide Receiver: $19.743M
- Tight End: $11.345M
- Offensive Line: $18.244M
- Defensive End: $19.727M
- Defensive Tackle: $18.937M
- Linebacker: $20.926M
- Cornerback: $18.14M
- Safety: $14.46M
- Punter/Kicker: $5.393M
https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/1627999122308358144
The franchise tag was $29.704 million in 2022 for the quarterback position. So the tag rose by nearly $2.7 million for 2023.
Who might get the franchise tag in 2023?
According to Adam Schefter with ESPN, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is a big name that leads the list of players who could be tagged for the 2023 season.
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1627998443724541960
Many insiders thought the New York Giants would be able to sign Daniel Jones to a long-term deal. If so, they could use the tag on running back Saquon Barkley. Because Jones is reportedly wanting nearly $45 million per annum, the Giants could tag Jones instead and let Barkley walk into free agency. (An NFL team can only apply the franchise tag for one player.) It’ll be a fun few weeks to see what teams decide to do with important pieces of their roster.