NFL Clubs Designate Player Tags – Opening Date February 17th
Frank Coyle/ Head scout
NFL free agency does not begin until March 9, but the player action begins before then. Teams can begin re-signing or extending their own players. They can also release veterans in an effort to become cap compliant when the new league year begins on March 11.
Feb. 17
Beginning this date through 4:00 pm est on March 3, clubs may designate Franchise or Transition Players
The franchise tag window will probably be used by several teams this year. Teams can begin tagging players with either a transition or franchise designation starting Feb. 17 and finishing March 3.
NFL Free agency begins on March 11 at 4 p.m. ET. However, the legal tampering period arrives on March 9 at 12 p.m. est.
Last offseason, the only two players received the franchise tag – Bengals’ receiver Tee Higgins and Chiefs’ guard Trey Smith. Both eventually got long-term contracts. This year, there is an expected larger group of players getting potential tag options.
Franchise tag: There are the exclusive and nonexclusive franchise tag options. On the exclusive tag, a player can’t negotiate with other teams. However, they also get paid more, either the average of the top five cap hits from the 2025 campaign at the player’s position or 120% of their previous salary. The nonexclusive tag permits a player to negotiate with every other team. If the player signs an offer sheet, his original team can match and retain him on that deal. If that team elects not to match, it receives two 1st-round picks from the acquiring team. Furthermore, the nonexclusive tag pays the player the average of the top five cap hits over the past five seasons at the player’s position or 120% of their prior salary, whichever is more lucrative.
Transition tag: If applied to a player, he gets the higher figure between either 120% of his previous salary or the average of the top 10 cap hits at his position over the previous five years. The player can negotiate with other teams during free agency and if he receives an offer sheet, his current team can match. If the team doesn’t match, the player leaves for the contract offered and the original team doesn’t get compensation.
For the 2026 NFL offseason, projected non-exclusive franchise tags, which guarantee a one-year salary based on the top five positional cap hits, are highest for
quarterbacks ($47.3M), linebackers ($28.2M), and offensive linemen ($27.9M). Transition tags, averaging the top 10 salaries, offer a cheaper option without draft compensation for teams.
Projected 2026 NFL Franchise and Transition Tags – by Positions
Quarterback: Franchise: $47.32M Transition: $40.74M
Running Back: Franchise: $14.53M Transition: $11.06M
Tight End: Franchise: $16.31M Transition: $11.71M
Wide Receiver: Franchise: $28.82M Transition: $24.39M
Offensive Line: Franchise: $27.92M Transition: $25.30M
Defensive End: Franchise: $27.32M Transition: $22.90M
Defensive Tackle: Franchise: $26.31M Transition: $21.60M
Linebacker: Franchise: $28.19M Transition: $23.61M
Cornerback: Franchise: $21.41M Transition: $17.59M
Safety: Franchise: $20.87M Transition: $15.02M
Kicker/Punter: Franchise: $6.9M Transition: $5.73M
Franchise Tag: A team cannot negotiate with other teams and the tender is fully guaranteed. If non-exclusive, the original team receives two first-round picks if
the player leaves.
Transition Tag: Allows players to negotiate with other teams. The original team has five days to match any offer sheet.
Teams can use only one tag (franchise or transition) per offseason. Deadline: The deadline for designating franchise or transition players is March 3rd.
