NFL Franchise Tag explained: 2024 candidates, types of franchise tags, values & more

The 2023 NFL season is over, and with the offseason comes questions over the futures of the NFL's best out-of-contract players.

Every NFL offseason is headlined by the free agency and the draft, which take place in mid-March and late-April, respectively.

In advance of those dates, teams can start placing franchise tags on players until 4 PM ET on March 5.

Below we track every player to receive or not receive a franchise tag this offseason, as well as discuss what a franchise tag is, the different types of tags, why players get tagged, and more.

2024 franchise tag tracker

Player	Position	Team	Tagged?	Type of tag
Michael Pittman	WR	Indianapolis Colts	Yes	Non-exclusive
Jaylon Johnson	DB	Chicago Bears	Yes	Non-exclusive
Kyle Dugger	S	New England Patriots	Yes	Transition
Antoine Winfield Jr.	S	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Yes	Exclusive
Josh Allen	LB	Jacksonville Jaguars	Yes	Exclusive
Justin Madubuike	DT	Baltimore Ravens	Yes	Exclusive
Brian Burns	LB	Carolina Panthers	Yes	Non-exclusive
Tee Higgins	WR	Cincinnati Bengals	Yes	Non-exclusive
L'Jarius Sneed	CB	Kansas City Chiefs	Yes	Non-exclusive
Saquon Barkley	RB	New York Giants	No	-
Christian Wilkins	DT	Miami Dolphins	No	-
Xavier McKinney	FS	New York Giants	No	-

What is a franchise tag?

The franchise tag is a collectively-bargained tool that can be used on a player who is an unrestricted free agent. Each NFL team gets one franchise tag per year.

Players who have the franchise tag placed on them and eventually sign that tender get a guaranteed, non-negotiable, one-year contract for the upcoming season. It is worth the designated value at his specific position, which is the average of the top-five highest salaries at the position.

When is the franchise tag deadline?

The deadline for teams to use their franchise tags is Tuesday, March 5. After using the tag, a team has until mid-July to sign the tagged player to a contract extension.

If a contract extension is not signed prior to that July date, the player can eventually sign nothing more than a one-year contract for the 2024 campaign and cannot sign an extension until after the regular season ends.

Read more: NFL Offseason schedule & key dates

Types of franchise tags

Exclusive franchise tag

An exclusive franchise tag prevents a player from negotiating offer sheets with other teams.

It costs more than a non-exclusive tag, with the salary determined by whichever number is higher: the average of the top five salaries at the player's position in the current year, or 120 percent of the player's previous salary.

Note: this type of tag is extremely rare.

Non-exclusive franchise tag

Under a non-exclusive franchise tag, a player can negotiate and sign offer sheets with other teams after the new league year begins.

The player's previous team has the right to match any signed offer sheet. If a team chooses not to match, it will receive two first-round picks from the franchise that signed the player to an offer sheet.

A non-exclusive franchise tag salary is lower than that of an exclusive tag. It is determined by whichever number is higher: the average of the top five salaries at a player's position over the last five years relative to the current salary cap, or 120 percent of the player's previous salary. 

Transition franchise tag

There are two differences when it comes to a transition tag. First, it takes the average salary of the top 10 players at a certain position instead of the top five.

Second, teams that use a transition tag are not guaranteed any asset as a result of the tagged player signing an offer from another team. If a player on a transition tag signs an offer sheet with a different franchise and his current team refuses to match it, his former team does not receive any draft-pick compensation in return.

Franchise tag values by position

Here are the non-exclusive franchise tag values by position for 2024:

Quarterback: $36,293,000
Linebacker: $22,748,000
Defensive tackle: $20,943,000
Wide receiver: $20,672,000
Defensive end: $20,205,000
Offensvie lineman: $19,885,000
Cornerback: $18,762,000
Safety: $16,224,000
Tight End: $12,027,000
Running back: $11,326,000
Kicker/Punter: $5,670,000

2024 franchise tag candidates

Here are some of the players who could see the franchise tag in 2024. Note that teams do not have to use a tag and many will opt against doing so.

Player	Position	2023 team
Justin Madubuike	DT	Baltimore Ravens
Brian Burns	DE	Carolina Panthers
Jaylon Johnson	CB	Chicago Bears
Tee Higgins	WR	Cincinnati Bengals
Tony Pollard	RB	Dallas Cowboys
Dalton Schultz	TE	Houston Texans
Michael Pittman Jr.	WR	Indianapolis Colts
Josh Allen	DE	Jacksonville Jaguars
L'Jarius Sneed	CB	Kansas City Chiefs
Austin Ekeler	RB	Los Angeles Chargers
Christian Wilkins	DT	Miami Dolphins
Kirk Cousins	QB	Minnesota Vikings
Saquon Barkley	RB	New York Giants
Leonard Willaims	DE	Seattle Seahawks
Mike Evans	WR	Tampa Bay Buccaneers