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2024 Franchise Tag Implications

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The NFL franchise tag deadline has come and gone, folks. As we inch closer to the new league dropping on March 13th, things are starting to come into focus. With nine players tagged ahead of free agency and the upcoming NFL Draft, there are implications abound.

For football and fantasy football enthusiasts alike, this is an exciting time of year. The post-Super Bowl landscape begins to take shape, and we can start hedging our early bets on players in dynasty formats or plotting for our re-draft strategy ahead of our checked-out league mates. 

What happened at the franchise tag deadline is as much about who wasn’t tagged as it is about who was. In my debut article for IDP+, I’ll break down all the players who were tagged and a few who weren’t, so you don’t have to. 

Take a look at our recent Rookie Ranking Articles:

Tagged, You’re It!

While seven players getting the franchise tag doesn’t seem like much, consider that last season, only six players received the tag. Of those six, three – Jacksonville Tight end Evan Engram, Baltimore Quarterback Lamar Jackson, and Washington Defensive Tackle Deron Payne – received long-term deals with their respective teams. The other three – We’ll get to them later – are staring down the barrel of free agency starting March 13th with the new NFL league year. 

The outlook for most of these tagged players would indicate they will reach some sort of long-term deal with their respective teams. However, this is the NFL, and anything is possible. Without further adieu, let’s dive into who did—and didn’t—get the franchise tag and what it all means ahead of NFL free agency and the draft.   

Franchise Tag(ged): Offense

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Tee Higgins (Wide Receiver, CIN)

The Bengals tagging WR Tee Higgins might have been the least surprising thing to happen this offseason, and the Falcons fired Arthur Smith. The team informed Higgins on February 23rd that he would be tagged.

While sometimes overshadowed by fellow WR Ja’Marr Chase, Higgins is a major part of the Cincinnati passing attack. It’s true that 2023 was a down year for the 2020 second-round pick. He only played in 12 games due to injury and managed just 656 receiving yards on 42 catches. However, this is a sign the team banks on him returning to his 2022 form, where he eclipsed 1,000 yards on 76 catches. 

No long-term deal appears to be on the horizon. Unless something changes, this will play out as a contract year for Higgins. Take that how you will. 

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Michael Pittman (Wide Receiver, IND)

With the highly anticipated return of freak athlete Anthony Richardson to his rightful place behind center in Indianapolis, it only makes sense for head coach Shane Steichen to want to retain a veteran presence in the locker room. Michael Pittman provides just that for a receiving corps that includes third-year wide receiver Alec Pierce and second-year pass catcher Josh Downs.

The Colts’ front office made it no secret that they had no intention of allowing Pitman to hit the open market. He has led the team in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns each of the last three seasons and will be a key part of Richardson’s ability to grow after a serious knee injury ended his rookie campaign.   

Franchise Tag(ged): Defense

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Antoine Winfield Jr (Saftey, TB) 

Buccaneers’ safety Antione Winfield Jr. getting the one-year lock-in certainly wasn’t a shock. The soon-to-be fifth-year pro out of Minnesota was second on the team in both solo (76) and combo tackles (122), as well as sacks (6) in 2023. 

With Winfield’s tagging, the team retains a lynchpin of its defense while continuing to work towards a long-term deal. This, in addition to the new two-year contract for wide receiver Mike Evans, proves Tampa Bay is all-in for 2024. 

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Jaylon Johnson (Cornerback, CHI)

Much like Winfield, the Bears placing the franchise tag on CB Jaylon Johnson seemed like a no-brainer. The Bears believe they are closer to winning than not, but with the likelihood of incoming rookie quarterback Caleb Williams taking the reigns, the team will need all the defensive help they can get. 

Johnson was the highest-graded coverage CB (91) in 2023. In addition, he had the fourth-lowest completion rate (50%) when targeted and the lowest yards per reception allowed (7.8) of any player at the position. The team will work towards a long-term deal, but for now, Johnson is assuredly staying put in the Windy City.

 

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Josh Allen (EDGE, JAC)

The Jaguars need Josh Allen, and there was almost zero chance they could re-sign the talented edge rusher if he were allowed to hit free agency. Allen set a franchise record for sacks in a season (17.5), second to fellow edge rushers Trey Henderson & T.J. Watt (20). Jacksonville and head coach Doug Pederson are looking to make a huge leap in the SFC, and having Allen and his veteran presence anchor the defense is a requirement.   

The team hopes to get a long-term deal done before the mid-July deadline. However, if they can’t, they have him under contract for at least one more year and could use Allen as trade bait before the deadline if no progress has been made.

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Justin Madubuike (Defensive Tackle, BAL)

The Baltimore Ravens are a team on a mission, and their defense is key to getting through the Chiefs to the grand stage. Justin Madubuike, who led the team in sacks in 2023 (13), is a cornerstone of the team’s defensive attack. 

As is the case with most franchise-tagged players, long-term negotiations stall, or the team simply doesn’t have the money until they work some salary cap magic. The case here for Madubuike and the Ravens is the latter. It’s not a matter of if they lock him down for the future, just when.

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Brian Burns (Outside Linebacker, CAR)

There aren’t many teams in the league right now with as dire of an outlook as the Carolina Panthers. The hope is that the new head coach, Dave Canales, can turn the culture around, but that will take time. In the interim, the Panthers will need a stronger defense. Placing the franchise tag on OLB Brain Burns just makes the most sense for the team. 

Burns wants a long-term deal, rumored to be in the neighborhood of $30 million per year. Those negotiations took a pause in September and have yet to meaningfully resume. The team needs Burns, who thrives in the 3-4 scheme to be their defensive foundation. He not only led the team in sacks in 2023 (8) but is also an undeniably important locker-room presence for a team that is only getting younger.

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L’Jarius Sneed (Cornerback, KC)

This move by the Chiefs was less about keeping L’Jarius Sneed than it was about controlling where he lands and receiving some sort of compensation. 

The team has given him permission to seek a trade. And because his tag is non-exclusive, he can sign with another team, netting the Chiefs draft pick compensation. While there is a chance Sneed will play under the franchise tag in 2024, it seems unlikely. Sneed will be on the move and could land in a better situation than he had in Kansas City. 

 

Tag, You’re NOT It!

As intriguing as the seven players who received the franchise tag are, three running backs were notably not tagged this year. All three received the franchise tag in 2023 and will now hit free agency, making this one of the most talented and interesting RB free-agent classes we’ve seen in a long time. 

 

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Tony Pollard (Running Back)

There were lofty expectations for Cowboys running back Tony Pollard in 2023. With the departure of veteran RB Ezekiel Elliot ahead of the season, it was expected he would finally get the chance to be an RB1 in the Dallas offense.

While that held true, Pollard underperformed early, having come from a broken leg and ankle sprain in January 2023. That, coupled with the lack of a reliable RB2 behind him—we all wanted Rico Diowdle to be a thing, I know—destined him to disappoint. 

While Pollard may land back in Dallas, it isn’t a great sign the team is willing to let him test the market. The more likely scenario is him signing with a team looking for a veteran presence to pair with a younger back.

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Saquon Barkley (Running Back)

I would imagine it can’t be a fun prospect to spend the end of your career on a team tied to quarterback Daniel Jones – to the tune of $82 million guaranteed –  through 2026. Couple that with the team likely not wanting to pay what he will command on the free market; it makes sense that Saquon Barkley is out in New York. The question now is, where does he land?

I won’t begin to speculate where I think Barkley will hang his cleats in 2024. What I will say is this: For all the tortured Bills fans out there, and for the sake of the longevity of Josh Allen’s career – I hope he lands in Buffalo, NY. 

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Josh Jacobs (Running Back)

The Raiders’ relationship with running back Josh Jacobs has been an interesting one, to say the least. Questions arose early in the offseason about whether he would play for the team at all in 2023. After refusing to sign the teams’ franchise tag tender, he skipped OTAs and some of training camp before he and the team came to a last-minute, one-year deal.  

The Las Vegas Raiders are a team in transition. New head coach Anthony Pierce, who served as the interim head coach after Josh McDaniels was fired, has a lot on his plate. The team is currently without a franchise quarterback—unless Aiden “Farva” O’Connell is their idea of a franchise quarterback—and needs to fill many holes at multiple positions. 

While signing Jacobs is a possibility, he is far more likely to receive a better contract outside of Sin City. Where that landing spot could be is anyone’s guess right now.

Thanks for reading 2024 Franchise Tag Implications, my debut article for IDP Plus! Please follow me on X (formerly Twitter) for more #FantasyFootball & #NFL analysis, and make sure to follow @IDP_Plus, and check out my IDP Guys author page and the IDP Guys website.   

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