Early takeaways from 2025 NFL franchise-tag window

• The franchise tag works against certain players: Pending free agents who are older and/or at more nuanced positions might not have a fair shot at being tagged.

Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

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After much anticipation, the NFL’s annual franchise-tag window officially opened Tuesday. While the list of players in line to potentially be tagged is relatively smaller on a year-by-year comparison, there are still high-profile talents who will dictate the dominos of the offseason ahead.

Although no transactions have been formally finalized, reports have already begun to circulate about teams’ decisions and plans. Here’s what we’ve learned in the two days since the tag window opened, with much more to be sorted out until March 4.

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Bengals set to take WR Tee Higgins off the market — now and likely for a while

Cincinnati’s direction on Higgins — whose 88.3 PFF receiving grade ranked seventh among qualified receivers in 2024 — is arguably the most significant choice for any team. Instead of letting the No. 1 overall player on PFF’s free-agent big board hit the market, the Bengals are reportedly working on an extension with Higgins and will tag him if that can’t come to fruition.

The odds of Higgins reaching a long-term deal feel much higher now than in 2024 for a few reasons, including Higgins’ career season and public rallies from Joe Burrow to retain him. Plus, there is a chance that Higgins might not want to sign the tag for a second consecutive offseason, although he seems intent on staying in Cincinnati.

With Higgins set to make at least $26.35 million on the tag, if not $30 million per year on a new deal, the Bengals will seemingly keep their three-headed nucleus intact and remain one of the NFL’s more loaded offenses. As for teams still searching for high-end receiver options — like the Patriots, Chargers and Broncos — no current free agent is really in Higgins’ tier. Still, the draft is rich with prolific pass catchers, and there’s free-agent depth available in players such as Chris Godwin, Stefon Diggs and Amari Cooper.

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G Trey Smith’s time in Kansas City might be up

Even though Smith was part of the Chiefs’ run to three straight Super Bowls, he might no longer call Kansas City home. Reports indicate that the Chiefs will not franchise tag Smith, which is likely due to the team fielding only $4.4 million in effective cap space (although the 2025 salary cap will increase by more than expected).

Smith’s performance waned a bit in this most recent postseason, but he’s still been one of the better guards in the league since he debuted in 2021. In that span, Smith sits in the 96th percentile in positively graded run-blocking play rate, and his 81.2 PFF overall grade ranks 11th among qualified guards.

Of course, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach could retain Smith on a back-loaded deal, as he’s done with other previous internal stars hitting the market. However, there’s real skepticism that Kansas City will be able to match offers from teams such as the Bears or Patriots that desperately need guards and are among the richest spenders this offseason.

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The Vikings won’t tag CB Byron Murphy Jr. — and maybe not QB Sam Darnold, either

Minnesota figures to be one of the real wild cards of any team this offseason, with each decision by general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah causing a trickle-down effect. The team already reached one conclusion with Murphy, moving his contract’s void date to after March 4 and thus making him ineligible for the franchise tag.

Murphy generated a career-high 73.5 PFF coverage grade this past season, but Minnesota likely thought he wasn’t worth the roughly $20.9 million tag. The good news is that the Vikings still hold roughly $61 million in effective cap space and have the ammo to re-sign Murphy, but a team such as the Raiders or Commanders could swoop in from high above.

Meanwhile, ESPN’s Dan Graziano shared that Minnesota did not move Darnold’s void date, meaning he still can be franchise-tagged. Yet, there hasn’t been much traction regarding that idea. After posting a 77.5 PFF passing grade and a 5.4% big-time throw rate in 2024 en route to a 14-3 regular-season record, Darnold will likely make at least $40 million on his new deal. But given that the Vikings apparently don’t want to give Darnold the $42 million tag, they presumably won’t try to re-sign their best-case bridge starter.

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Cost of the tag might be too great for older players

Some of the better options on this year’s open market include Chris Godwin, Stefon Diggs and Khalil Mack, each of whom secured 79.0 PFF overall grades or better last year. However, none of those names have appeared in reports of their teams using the franchise tag. One big reason figures to be age.

For instance, Godwin inked a three-year, $60 million deal to stay in Tampa Bay during the 2022 offseason. That price point feels relatively similar to what he’d net now, especially coming off a dynamic year (85.7 PFF receiving grade), but one cut short by a dislocated ankle. Since Godwin is 29 and has had injury problems, the Buccaneers likely don’t want to give him that near-$26 million tag.

In the past five franchise tag periods, only six of the 46 players to be tagged were 28 or older, although Brandon Scherff was tagged twice while fitting that criteria. Only one recipient — A.J. Green — was above 30. While players like Derrick Henry helped shatter expectations about longevity at his position, the NFL will probably continue to skew toward favoring younger players with the tag, especially as it’s gotten rarer.

	Franchise Tags Given Out By Year	Players 28+ Receiving The Tag
2024	8	0
2023	6	1
2022	8	1
2021	10	1
2020	14	3

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The Dolphins will let S Jevon Holland test free agency, if not walk

When a homegrown, 24-year-old star safety is about to leave your organization, you might want to exhaust all options to keep him in the building. But it doesn’t seem like the Dolphins are planning to do that with Holland, as NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe detailed that Miami is not expected to franchise tag him.

Holland had a disappointing 2024 season, recording a career-low 57.1 PFF coverage grade and a 111.3 passer rating allowed when targeted. However, two of his three prior seasons featured PFF coverage grades of 87.7 or higher. Last year, Holland’s 90.4 PFF overall grade sat third among safeties.

Miami’s reasons for not wanting to keep Holland appear multi-faceted. For one, Holland would be owed more than $20 million on the tag, which would make him the second-highest-paid safety in football — and there’s no guarantee he will reach that number on a new contract. The Oregon product’s declining play is also a factor, as is the team’s air-tight cap space. Expect squads such as the Raiders, Patriots, Jaguars and even Bengals to vie for Holland’s services.

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Positional specificity is a major limitation

While the NFL has remained cutting-edge in so many ways, the franchise tag could probably be better classified based on positions. Given the tag’s current format, some of the top players at their positions have almost no chance of getting awarded the one-year option.

For example, Falcons center Drew Dalman will be one of the more coveted offensive linemen on the market after notching a second straight season with a 78.8-plus PFF overall grade. Why, then, would the Falcons not give him the tag? Well, only one franchise tag provision exists for offensive linemen, and it’s worth $25.8 million. Only one center (Creed Humphrey) is over even the $15 million-per-year threshold. The tag effectively stops centers and guards from receiving proper value.

The same applies to inside linebacker. The Eagles will assuredly make a steadfast effort to keep Zack Baun, whose 90.1 PFF overall grade in 2024 slotted eighth among qualified defenders. Franchising Baun would seem logical, except when you consider that there’s only one nebulous “LB” tag valued at a whopping $27 million, inflated by edge defender contracts. No true inside linebacker makes even close to $27 million per year, and only one (Roquan Smith) exceeds $20 million.

Until more specific designations are added for all offensive line positions, inside linebackers, slot cornerbacks and more, the franchise-tag system will keep falling victim to the same constraints, helping free agency’s excitement but harming teams in retaining talent.