Franchise tag
An NFL term
A one-year contract a team can force on one of its own free agents, at a price set by the top salaries at that position. It buys a year to negotiate and stops the player from reaching the open market.
There are two versions. The non-exclusive tag lets the player negotiate with other teams, but his old team can match any offer, and if it declines it gets two first-round picks. The exclusive tag blocks him from talking to anyone at all.
The price is a formula, not a negotiation: roughly the average of the top salaries at that position, or a percentage of the salary cap, whichever is larger.
A tag is fully guaranteed once signed, which is why some tagged players sign it immediately and others hold out for a long-term deal.
You’ll hear it like this
They tagged him in March, which gave both sides until July to work out a real contract.
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Checked 2026-08-07.