NFL franchise tags explained: Types of tags, 2025 deadline, values by position

Franchise tags are always a prominent talking point at the start of each NFL offseason.

The seven-month NFL offseason is one of, if not the longest in American professional sports, and it allows players rest and recoup their bodies after the season.

But for NFL front offices, there is no “offseason.”

Let’s get into all you need to know about NFL franchise tags, including what they are, what they mean, deadlines, values, and more.

What is an NFL franchise tag?

The franchise tag is a collectively-bargained tool that NFL teams can use on a player who is an unrestricted free agent, in order to keep them on the roster and avoid them going to another team in free agency. 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 in 2025?

The NFL's franchise tag window opens on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, and runs until 4 PM ET on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.

It is only during this two-week window that NFL teams can designate franchise tags on players.

Types of franchise tags

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. 

The non-exclusive franchise tag is by far the most commonly used of the three types.

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.

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 in 2025

Position	Non-exclusive tag value	Transition tag value
Quarterback	$41.325 million	$35.267 million
Running back	$13.629 million	$10.823 million
Wide receiver	$25.693 million	$22.523 million
Tight end	$14.241 million	$12.069 million
Offensive line	$25.156 million	$22.745 million
Defensive end	$24.727 million	$20.769 million
Defensive tackle	$23.468 million	$18.934 million
Linebacker	$27.050 million	$22.612 million
Cornerback	$20.357 million	$17.198 million
Safety	$19.626 million	$15.598 million
Kicker/punter	$6.459 million	$5.830 million

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