The Chiefs and Trey Smith have just less than 48 hours to agree on a long-term extension; otherwise, the Pro Bowl guard will play on the franchise tag and negotiations will be tabled until 2026. That is 2025’s only tag situation as the July 15 deadline approaches.
Over the previous 10 offseasons, 77 players received the franchise tag. Many of those signed extensions before the midsummer deadline. Here are the players who did not and ended up playing the season for the tag price:
2015
- Jason Pierre-Paul, DE (Giants): $3MM
Pierre-Paul’s infamous fireworks accident led to Giants rescinding $14.8MM tag, setting up revised agreement
2016
- Eric Berry, S (Chiefs): $10.81MM
- Kirk Cousins, QB (Washington): $19.95MM
- Alshon Jeffery, WR (Bears): $14.6MM
- Trumaine Johnson, CB (Rams): $13.95MM
2017
- Le’Veon Bell, RB (Steelers): $12.12MM
- Kirk Cousins, QB (Washington): $22.94MM
- Trumaine Johnson, CB (Rams): $16.74MM
2018
- Ziggy Ansah, DE (Lions): $17.14MM
- Le’Veon Bell, RB (Steelers): $14.54MM
- Lamarcus Joyner, S (Rams): $11.29MM
- DeMarcus Lawrence, DE (Cowboys): $17.14MM
Bell did not collect any money on his 2018 tag, being the 21st century’s lone franchise-tagged player to skip season
2019
- Jadeveon Clowney, LB (Seahawks): $15MM
Texans applied $15.9MM linebacker tag on Clowney, trading him to Seahawks in August 2019; edge rusher agreed to salary reduction upon being dealt
2020
- Shaquil Barrett, LB (Buccaneers): $15.83MM
- Bud Dupree, LB (Steelers): $15.83MM
- A.J. Green, WR (Bengals): $17.97MM
- Anthony Harris, S (Vikings): $11.44MM
- Hunter Henry, TE (Chargers): $10.61MM
- Matt Judon, DE/LB (Ravens): $16.81MM
- Yannick Ngakoue, LB (Vikings/Ravens): $12MM
- Dak Prescott, QB (Cowboys): $31.41MM
- Brandon Scherff, G (Washington): $15MM
- Justin Simmons, S (Broncos): $11.44MM
- Joe Thuney, G (Patriots): $14.78MM
- Leonard Williams, DT (Giants): $16.13MM
Ravens, Judon agreed on compromise between defensive end, linebacker tag prices. Ngakoue agreed to salary reduction to facilitate trade from Jaguars. Vikings traded edge rusher to Ravens before 2020 deadline. Prescott received exclusive franchise tag from Cowboys.
2021
- Chris Godwin, WR (Buccaneers): $15.98MM
- Marcus Maye, S (Jets): $10.61MM
- Allen Robinson, WR (Bears): $17.98MM
- Cam Robinson, LT (Jaguars): $13.75MM
- Brandon Scherff, G (Washington): $18MM
- Marcus Williams, S (Saints): $10.61MM
2022
- Jessie Bates, S (Bengals): $12.91MM
- Orlando Brown Jr., T (Chiefs): $16.66MM
- Mike Gesicki, TE (Dolphins): $10.93MM
- Dalton Schultz, TE (Cowboys): $10.93MM
2023
- Saquon Barkley, RB (Giants): $10.1MM
- Josh Jacobs, RB (Raiders): $11.79MM
- Tony Pollard, RB (Cowboys): $10.1MM
Raiders provided raise to Jacobs to bring him into training camp
2024
- Tee Higgins, WR (Bengals): $21.82MM
Say what you want about the tag, but those 2 dozen or so players raised the value of their positions exponentially over the years. I get the idea of injury risk, but their peers benefited from the tag as well.
I agree with you arty but is that actually a good thing? You’re going to have players now with the attitude “I don’t need to work my butt off to increase my market value…I’ll let someone else boost the market value of the position I play”.
There are coasters at every company I’ve worked for. But for the majority, they work their tails off to get that next contract or raise at a company.
The one thing I never get about the players is they demand ‘long term contracts’. Three years later, go from being paid in the top 5; to hovering around 10-12th place then they complain about their contracts. Look at the list of DE’s holding out right now, less Parsons, who is on his rookie deal still.
The NFL is a “what have you done for us lately?” league so I can understand players wanting those longer term contracts. There are a lot of ways a player can lose his spot atop the depth chart so insecurity is a natural state for many players.
It’s the ‘what came first; the chicken or the egg’ argument. They want long term deals, then complain about the contract half way through it. There isn’t a right answer.
I think Walter Jones of the Seahawks tag three times he said he loved playing under that he knew he was getting a raise and if he wanted to walk away from the game at the end of the season, he won’t owe money in the signing bonus he said he was set after his rookie contract
Cosuins’ 2 tags redefined the QB salaries. Whereas Jones was awesome, Kirk is a mediocre QB.