The NFL franchise tag deadline has come and gone, and the number of tags applied couldn’t have been much lower.
In 2024, eight players received franchise tags (plus Kyle Dugger got the seldom used transition tag) either on or before deadline day. This was definitely not the case for 2025.
Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith and (for a second time) Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins were the only tagged players this year. You have to go back to 2006 to find the last time we had this few franchise tags applied. The most recent instance of no franchise tag usage was in 2001.
Both the Chiefs and Bengals will be looking to work out long-term extensions with their respective players before the July 15 negotiations deadline. Smith and Higgins are on non-exclusive tags, which means they can negotiate with other teams and sign offer sheets if terms are agreed. However, the tagging team can either match it or refuse and receive two first-rounders in return. In other words, this is a very boring franchise tag year.
And, of course, the Seattle Seahawks’ history of not placing the franchise tag on impending free agents continues under John Schneider. It was used once for (of all people) kicker Olindo Mare in 2011 and then for Frank Clark in 2019, only for Clark to be traded to the Chiefs.
