NFL
When Is The NFL Franchise Tag Deadline In 2025?
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Every offseason, NFL teams embark on free agency and the draft to gear up for another run at the Lombardi Trophy. Before free agency begins, teams can negotiate with their existing roster and use tools like the franchise tag to ensure they retain their best players. Below, we’ll explain everything that you need to know about the NFL franchise tag, including how it works, the deadline to tag players, and the franchise tag values for each position.
What Is The Franchise Tag In The NFL?
The NFL franchise tag is a type of contract that teams can use to stop their best players from leaving in free agency. This allows teams to keep their roster together for at least another year and avoid major roster turnover or receive draft compensation for a player who leaves in free agency.
A franchise tag works like a one-year deal and allows the original team to negotiate a new contract with the player or match an offer sheet made by another team.
Since the NFL franchise tag pays players near the top of their respective position groups, they are generally reserved for a team’s best players.
NFL Franchise Tag Deadline
The NFL franchise tag window opens about 10 days after the Super Bowl and lasts for two weeks. During that time, NFL teams can apply franchise tags to players who are set to become free agents in the offseason. This allows teams to keep their best players before free agency begins.
This year, the NFL franchise tag window opened on February 18th, 2025 and will close on Tuesday, March 4th, at 4 p.m. ET.
How Does The NFL Franchise Tag Work?
The NFL franchise tag works similarly to a one-year contract and gives the original team the option to negotiate a new contract with the player or match an offer sheet made by another team.
If a player receives the franchise tag, they receive a one-year tender and can still strike a deal on a new contract until July 15th. If a new contract is not signed by that date, the player will receive a one-year contract or engage in a hold out until negotiations are settled.
NFL teams can only apply the franchise tag to a player three times and the value of the tag increases each time. Players will receive a 120% raise the second time that the tag is used and a 144% raise on the third and final tag.
NFL franchise tag values every position differently, meaning that some players will earn more than others when receiving the tag.
3 Types Of NFL Franchise Tags
There are three main types of NFL franchise tags:
- Non-Exclusive
- Exclusive
- Transition
Each of these types of franchise tags work a bit differently.
Non-Exclusive Franchise Tag
This is the most common type of franchise tag used by NFL teams. It gives players the ability to sign an offer sheet with another franchise and the original team the right to match the offer. If another team signs the player and the original team declines to match, they will receive two first-round draft picks as compensation.
Exclusive Franchise Tag
Unlike a non-exclusive franchise tag, this tag prohibits players from seeking an offer sheet from a new team. The exclusive franchise tag allows the original team to negotiate a new contract with the player without allowing them to test the open market. If a new deal is not struck by the deadline, the exclusive franchise tag reverts to a one-year deal.
Transition Franchise Tag
This tag works like the non-exclusive franchise tag but doesn’t give the original team any compensation if a player leaves in free agency. Players and their agents are allowed to sign offer sheets from other franchises and the original team is allowed to match. However, if they do not match the offer, the original team will not receive any draft compensation.
NFL Franchise Tag Values By Position
The value of the transition tag is determined by the average of top salaries at a given position. That means players at key positions, like quarterback, will receive a premium compared to others.
Non-exclusive franchise tags are valued at the average of the top five salaries at a player’s position over the past five years or 120% of the player’s previous salary, whichever is greater. Transition tags are valued at the average of the top 10 salaries at a position, making them slightly cheaper than the other types of franchise tags.
Position
Non-Exclusive Tag
Transition Tag
QB
$41,325,000
$35,267,000
RB
$11,951,000
$9,765,000
WR
$25,693,000
$22,523,000
TE
$14,241,000
$12,069,000
OL
$25,156,000
$22,745,000
DE
$24,727,000
$20,769,000
DT
$23,468,000
$18,934,000
LB
$27,050,000
$22,612,000
CB
$20,357,000
$17,198,000
S
$19,626,000
$15,598,000
K/P
$6,459,000
$5,830,000
Why NFL Teams Use the Franchise Tag
NFL teams use the franchise tag for different reasons. Most times, teams use the franchise tag to retain players and buy time for contract negotiations. However, there are other reasons why a player might get tagged.
Here are a few different ways that NFL teams use the franchise tag:
- To Buy Time for a Long-Term Deal: Teams use the tag as a short-term solution while negotiating a multi-year contract.
- To Retain a Star Player: It prevents key players from hitting free agency, ensuring they stay for at least one more season.
- For Leverage in Contract Negotiations: Some teams use the tag as a bargaining tool to pressure players into accepting a long-term deal.
- For Trade Purposes: Occasionally, a team tags a player intending to trade him for assets rather than signing him long-term.
- To Receive Draft Compensation: Non-exclusive franchise tags allow teams to receive two first-round picks for a departing player.
