What is franchise tag in NFL and why do players hate it?
The Cincinnati Bengals franchise tagged wide receiver Tee Higgins, forcing him to play one year in a minimal wage which the players always prefer to avoid.
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Bengals head coach Zac Taylor (Image via IMAGO)
The Cincinnati Bengals franchise tagged wide receiver Tee Higgins for the second year in a row. The franchise tag will earn Higgins $26.2 million in 2025.
Those numbers may look great on paper, but as a football player, getting tagged isn’t a great feeling. Higgins’ mother in particular called the Bengals selfish for tagging her son.
The Bengals weren’t able to find an alternative route for the occasion. They have a salary cap of $61.7 million but have players such as Ja’Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson to pay big money. As both players were first-round acquisitions, they can’t be tagged, unlike Higgins, who was a second-round addition. Their hands were tied on whom to tag, and Higgins drew the short end of the straw.
Why NFL players hate the franchise tag.
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) March 3, 2025
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Higgins’ 73 receptions for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns were enough for the Bengals to identify him as a key member of the team, but at the same time, they don’t view him as someone whom they don’t need to pay right now, which is frustrating.
Why do NFL players hate franchise tags?
Franchise tags aren’t a frequent phenomenon and are only used as a last resort to keep hold of a player when there is a shortage of funds. In the last five (since 2020) years, only 36 players have been franchise tagged. In 2023, the Kansas City Chiefs tagged defensive tackle Chris Jones, and one year later he signed a $95 million extension. However, not every player who gets tagged earns a big and long-term extension. It’s very rare.
But what is a franchise tag? Franchise tags are a means to retain a certain player for one year. Usually, it’s applied to a player whose contract is running out and a new contract has not yet been negotiated. Teams usually apply two types of tags, which are the exclusive and the non-exclusive. There’s also a third option called the transition tag, which is rarely called upon.
In exclusive franchise tags, players are not allowed to negotiate with other teams. If the team places a non-exclusive franchise tag, then the player is allowed to negotiate with other teams, but the parent club will have the first right to match the offer made by the other team. Now, if the parent club doesn’t match the offer, then the other team sends draft picks as compensation.
This is a good way for teams to keep hold of their player and keep their hands open for a future extension. If they don’t sign a long-term deal even after playing one year under the franchise tag, then the player enters free agency.
Players tend to try their best to avoid this situation the most. As a player, they will always want their future secured because the average span for a player is very short. If he picks up an injury while playing under the franchise tag, then he risks losing playing time, and it also gives the team a chance to decide whether to keep or cut him from the team.
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