The deadline for the franchise came and has only disappeared two players who are tagged in 2025. This is a significantly lower amount than that of last season, because nine players won the designation of the franchise and the transition label. With the increase in the salary ceiling, six players have reached extensions, two players were exchanged and signed extensions with new teams, and one played all year on the label.
It was an unusual franchise label, because 17 players received the franchise or the transition label before the deadline during the last two years, which makes the lack of activity around the league so confusing.
It ended up being the fewest players scored on the deadline for the tag franchise since the 1994 season – a year after the Nfl created the franchise tag (and it was initially created for the quarters). Only two players ended up obtaining the franchise label before the deadline: the Bengals receiver of Cincinnati Tee Higgins and the right goalkeeper of Kansas City chiefs, Trey Smith.
As Higgins and Smith were the only players marked, this franchise label took place without incident compared to previous years of the League. And it was with the upward salary ceiling.
Whatever the lack of activity concerning the label, here are the winners and the losers of the deadline of the franchise tag.
Classify the NFL teams with the best free agent culture: Eagles, the Vikings have key starters to hit the free market
Tyler Sullivan
Winner: Tee Higgins
The Bengals of Cincinnati could not conclude a long -term agreement with Higgins, it was therefore tagged again for the second consecutive year. Higgins will not have the opportunity to obtain a long -term agreement on the free market, but he obtains a salary increase of 120% of Bengals.
Higgins’ salary has increased from $ 21.8 million to $ 26.2 million for 2025, because it will be paid among the first 10 of the game. This also gives Higgins more time to conclude a long -term agreement with Bengals, where his salary could be even higher.
Since Bengals have failed to conclude a long -term agreement with Higgins, his salary for 2025 could represent a minimum of $ 26.2 million. Being the best available receiver enters the offseason also helps.
Loser: Bengals from Cincinnati
Another year, the Bengals failed to conclude a long -term agreement with Higgins, placing the franchise label on the broad star receiver for the second consecutive year. Bengals continued to wait until the last minute to sign their players at long -term extensions, paying them much more money since the market was set.
Higgins is certainly worth his salary of $ 26.2 million this year, but Bengals could have signed him at a much cheaper rate if they had signed it years ago. Ja’Marr Chase will be the best paid receiver as a result of this practice and could even be the first $ 40 million receiver in NFL history.
The players left the Bengals because of their inability to sign their players for long -term agreements. Chase and Higgins are likely to stay, but in a higher amount than if the Bengals would have signed them earlier.
Winner: Trey Smith
The chiefs deciding to franchiser Smith and keep it out of the market for free agents made Smith the best paid goalkeeper in football. Smith experienced a salary increase of $ 3.4 million last season at 23.4 million dollars this season due to the franchise label, because the offensive lines are all grouped instead of a single position.
Due to the franchise label, Smith makes a higher salary on Landon Dickerson (previously the best paid goalkeeper) of 2.4 million dollars. He earns $ 3.9 million more than the next highest right guard (Chris Lindstrom).
Chiefs also have more time to sign Smith to a long -term agreement, by doing so around this salary and in addition to guaranteed money accordingly. Anyway, Smith should end up with a best paid goalkeeper in football for 2025 – reset the market of his post.
The patriots sought to add a large receiver n ° 1 this offseason, but the Higgins marked by the bengal franchise to keep it out of the free market. This is a blow for New England, because the Patriots could have offered Higgins a contract that would have convinced him to change teams.
New England has the most ceiling space available in the NFL with $ 127.7 million, but the free receiver agent options are thin. For receptors n ° 1, Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper and Chris Godwin are available – but none is at the same level as Higgins. Davante Adams is also a free agent.
The best route for patriots to find a large receiver n ° 1 can be to look for a job for one. New England will have to offer choices for this player, however, even with the quantity of ceiling space that the patriots must give this player an extension.
Higgins on the market would have been enormous for the patriots.
The cowboys did not wait to sign Osa Odighizuwa to a long -term agreement, having the defensive tackle sign for an agreement of $ 80 million over four years before the deadline for the TAG franchise. The agreement included $ 58 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $ 20 million.
This is a welcome change in pace for cowboys, which generally wait for the market to be set before signing their star players. This is why Dak Prescott and Ceedee Lamb have ridiculously high salaries, and why Micah Parsons will also have one.
Dallas has not been able to sign free will due to its ceiling situation, nor to set up a strong list following swollen contracts. Odighizuwa’s signature was a welcome change in rhythm, a precedent that cowboys should follow in the coming years.
The Vikings of Minnesota have decided not to franchiser Tag Darnold, which makes it the best quarter-arre available in free agency. Obtaining $ 40.2 million would have been ideal for Darnold, but a quarter can now earn several years and more money guaranteed due to a year of career.
What will be the market for Darnold? It is the best quarter-back available in a limited group, launching 4,319 yards and 35 touched passers-by last season (fifth in NFL in the two categories). On the throws of more than 20 yards at the bottom, Darnold led the NFL by completion (34), the completion rate (49%), passing pass (9) and passing sites (1,182).
How much Darnold will obtain in free agency is the question, but it seems that he will get north of $ 40 million per year.
Winner: The Vikings of Minnesota
The Vikings could have franchiser Darnold and keep him in the fold for another year, but they wisely use their options. Minnesota could sign Darnold to a short -term extension to a delivery of the hometown (the Vikings and Darnold have a good relationship), if JJ McCarthy is not ready for the start of the season. They can also sign a veteran quarterly at a much cheaper rate to compete with McCarthy and let Darnold walk.
McCarthy is the future quarter -franchise and the Vikings are wise with their investment. Vikings can also afford Darnold with the $ 62.9 million in the available ceiling space, but could considerably improve an already good list with this money to spend.
The Vikings are wise when it comes to Darnold. No reason to frank it if they did not have to do so.
Loser: deadline for franchise tag
The deadline for this year’s franchise label has led the fewest players to receive the franchise tag since 1994, because only Higgins and Smith have been labeled by their respective teams. This occurs after eight players received the franchise / transition tag last season and six in 2023. At least six players have been tagged with each offseason since 2019, which makes the lack of activity this year all the more surprising.
So why were there so few players marked this offseason? This free agent course is not as deep as in previous years, and the increase in the cost of wages in all positions does not make a player possible. The teams that also cross the beacons must also comply with CAP or are in the middle of a reconstruction.
Higgins would not have been a franchisee if the Bengals would have concluded a long -term agreement with him. The chiefs have franchised players in recent years, buying more time to sign them or send the team to an agreement for the choices.
There was simply not much action on the deadline for this year. This should change next year.
