NFL teams can retain the rights to one of their impending 2025 free agents using a non-exclusive tag, exclusive franchise tag or transition tag for a 15-day period, from February 18 to March 4 .
Traditionally, players are not happy when they are given a franchise tag. This designation may hinder the ability to obtain long-term security, as players must again risk serious injuries and poor performance after already playing out their contracts when agreement on a multi-year deal cannot be reached. In these cases, the franchise tag is essentially a one-year, high-salary, must-prove contract.
The franchise tag was working more like it was originally intended this year. This designation was the precursor to a long-term agreement. Seven of the eight players (87.5%) who received a franchise tag signed multi-year contracts.
This is a big change from the previous three years (2021-23). Less than half the time (11 of 24 or 45.83%) during this period was a long-term deal signed while under the designation.
Below is an overview of how the franchise and transition tags work and the projected numbers for 2025.
Label logistics
How franchise and transition offers are calculated is poorly understood. The confusion makes most attempts to project these numbers wrong.
Before 2011 NFL collective agreement, non-exclusive franchise tags represented an average of the five highest salaries from the previous year at a player’s position or 120% of the player’s previous year’s salary, whichever was greater. For purposes of the franchise tag, salary means a player’s salary cap, excluding roster bonuses and most other performance bonuses.
The 120% and top five salary provisions remained intact, but the formula component is now calculated over a five-year period and is linked to a percentage of the overall salary cap. Specifically, the number for each position is obtained by taking the sum of the non-exclusive franchise tags determined by the original methodology for the previous five seasons and dividing by the sum of the actual NFL salary cap amount for the previous five seasons . The resulting percentage, known as the average cap percentage in the CBA, is then multiplied by the actual salary cap for the upcoming league year.
This non-exclusive tag allows a player to negotiate with other NFL teams, but if he signs an offer sheet with another club, his team has five days to match the offer. If the offer is not matched, his team will receive two first-round picks as compensation from the signing team.
Under the exclusive franchise tag, a player will receive a one-year offer from his team that is the highest of the average of the top five salaries at his position after the restricted free agent signing period of the year of current league ended (April 18). for 2025) or 120% of his salary from the previous year. The non-exclusive number is initially used as a placeholder and adjusted upward, if the exclusive calculation requires it, after the restricted freedom of agency ends. A player cannot negotiate with other teams if he receives the exclusive franchise tag.
Teams rarely apply the transition tag. The New England Patriots have designated safety Kyle Dugger this year. Prior to Dugger, the transition tag had not been used since 2020 by the Arizona Cardinals with running back Kenyan Drake.
The transition tag is based on the average of a player’s top 10 position salaries using the same methodology as the non-exclusive franchise tag calculations. The 120% provision also applies. Teams have the same right of first refusal as with franchise tags, but receive no draft pick compensation for refusing to match an offer sheet.
Beacon projections for 2025
The table below contains an early look at the 2025 franchise and transition markers. I keep track of the salary data needed to make calculations under the franchise and transition tag formulas. I recently confirmed with my NFL sources the 2024 data going into the formula.
There was a report recently that teams were projecting a 2025 salary cap to be between $265 million and $275 million with internal projections. The upper limit of $275 million is used for the 2025 salary cap. The 7.67% increase from the current figure of $255.4 million is consistent with salary cap growth in 2023. Tags franchise and transition are preliminary because the numbers cannot be finalized until the 2025 salary cap is set.
|
% of ceiling |
% of ceiling |
|||
|
Position |
Franchise |
Average |
Transition |
Average |
|
Cornerback |
$19,884,000 |
7.23% |
$17,331,000 |
6.302% |
|
Defensive end |
$21,730,000 |
7.902% |
$19,573,000 |
7.118% |
|
Defensive tackle |
$24,745,000 |
8.998% |
$20,536,000 |
7.467% |
|
Linebacker |
$25,069,000 |
9.116% |
$20,549,000 |
7.472% |
|
Offensive line |
$23,049,000 |
8.382% |
$20,951,000 |
7.619% |
|
Punter/Kicker |
$6,218,000 |
2.261% |
$5,644,000 |
2.052% |
|
Strategist |
$39,637,000 |
14.413% |
$34,845,000 |
12.671% |
|
Run back |
$13,435,000 |
4.886% |
$10,900,000 |
3.964% |
|
Security |
$18,321,000 |
6.662% |
$14,801,000 |
5.382% |
|
Tight end |
$13,618,000 |
4.952% |
$11,536,000 |
4.195% |
|
Wide receiver |
$23,599,000 |
8.581% |
$21,118,000 |
7.679% |
|
Note: Projections assume the 2025 salary cap is $275 million |
||||
The franchise tag has been used 22 times over the past three years (2022-24), or essentially seven per year. The number of franchise designations used could decrease in 2025 because players with expiring contracts are not as impressive as in recent years. This could be reminiscent of 2014, when only four players were designated as franchise players and two transition tags were used.
The Cincinnati Bengals kept wide receiver Tee Higgins off the open market this year with a $21.816 million franchise tag. Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow recently expressed confidence in the Bengals keeping Higgins. It will cost the Bengals $26,179,200 to use Higgins’ designation for a second straight year due to 120% of the previous year’s salary provisions.
The Minnesota Vikings have an interesting situation with quarterback Sam Darnold. He signed a one-year, $10 million contract to serve as a transitional quarterback in the transition from Kirk Cousins, who left for the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, to 2024 10th overall pick JJ McCarthy . Darnold benefited from missing McCarthy for the year after tearing the meniscus in his right knee in the preseason opener. His surprising career year unexpectedly transformed the Vikings into Super Bowl suitors.
The Vikings will be able to accommodate a franchise Darnold in the $40 million area. Depending on where the 2025 salary cap is set, the Vikings could have as much as $65 million of room before factoring a decision on him into the equation.
It’s possible the Vikings won’t get a compensatory pick in the 2026 draft by letting Darnold enter free agency. It will depend on how aggressive the Vikings are in signing free agents. Since Darnold would clearly be the best quarterback available on the open market, using a franchise tag to trade him isn’t out of the question.
The last time this happened with a quarterback was Matt Cassel in 2009. The Patriots traded Cassel and linebacker Mike Vrabel to the Kansas City Chiefs for a second-round pick in 2009 (34th overall). ).
Russell Wilson restarted his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers this year after being released by the Denver Broncos in March. Pittsburgh’s history with the transition label should not be ignored. The Steelers used that designation for offensive tackle Max Starks in 2008 and linebacker Jason Worilds in 2014. There is expected to be nearly $5 million difference between the franchise and transition tags.
Chiefs guard Trey Smith is the top offensive lineman with an expiring contract. Interior offensive linemen rarely receive franchise tags. The Washington Commanders used franchise tags on offensive guard Brandon Scherff in 2020 and 2021. The Patriots also placed a franchise tag on offensive guard Joe Thuney in 2020. Before those two, the last offensive guard to receiving a franchise tag was Logan Mankins by the Patriots in 2011.
Smith’s franchise tag, expected to be around $23 million, will be higher than the top of the offensive guard market. Landon Dickerson (Philadelphia Eagles) pegs the deal at $21 million per year.
Chris Godwin was on pace for career highs in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns before dislocating his left ankle in a Week 7 game against the Baltimore Ravens. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers using a franchise tag on Godwin for the third time in his NFL career will cost too much. According to the CBA rule, it will be the greater of 144% of his 2024 salary of $27.534 million ($39,648,960) or the greater number at any position, which is quarterback. back.
The Miami Dolphins let defensive tackle Christian Wilkins test free agency this year due to cap constraints. The same could be true for safety Jevon Holland. He didn’t do himself any favors with his recent play. Still, Holland will likely aim for the top of the safety market.
David Mulugheta, Holland’s agent, has his finger on the pulse of this market. He just extended Budda Baker’s contract with the Cardinals, worth $54 million over three years, an average of $18 million per year. He made Antoine Winfield Jr., designated a franchise player by the Buccaneers, the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL in May with a contract worth $84.1 million over four years, an average of $21.025 million. dollars per year. Mulugheta also had the best safety contract in free agency this year: Xavier McKinney’s four-year, $67 million contract, worth up to $68 million thanks to incentives and salary increases with the Green Bay Packers.
