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Before free agency kicks off for the 2022 NFL offseason, teams are allowed to apply franchise tags to players to give them a sense of what they need to do before the league year starts on March 16.
The Kansas City Chiefs became the first known team to put their franchise tag on a player, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday morning, when offensive lineman Orlando Brown Jr. was tagged before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline.
The franchise tag is a designation that teams can apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, and it binds the player to the team for one season. Franchise-tag figures are based on the top five salaries at each position.
This year’s salary cap is set at $208.2 million, up from $182.5 million in 2021.
Last season, 10 players were franchise-tagged, a group headlined by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott before he went on to complete a four-year, $160 million contract extension.
Several teams face big decisions as far as rosters are concerned this offseason. Free-agency decisions, along with franchise tags, will be vital for teams to piece together their rosters. Teams will also be able to make trades, and then there’s the draft April 28-30, when teams can infuse youth.
Here’s a look at players who have been tagged, the reasons why and the tag figure:
Franchise tag salary: $16,662,000
Career highlights: Brown is a three-time Pro Bowler, twice in his first three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and then last season with the Chiefs. Last year, Brown requested a trade to a team that would play him at left tackle, his preferred position. He was mostly a right tackle with the Ravens. The Chiefs, after releasing longtime left tackle Eric Fisher, had a need and sent their 2021 first-round draft choice, among other picks, to the Ravens. Brown played well with the Chiefs, and at age 25 looks to be their long-term solution at the position.
Why he was tagged: The Chiefs weren’t going to relinquish last year’s first-round draft pick in return for a one-year player. There was a sense when they completed the trade for Brown — who was then heading into the final year of his contract — and didn’t immediately sign him to a long-term extension that this was the likely outcome for Brown. The Chiefs, picking 30th in the first round this year, had no easy way of finding an adequate replacement for Brown if they decided to let him get to free agency.
What he brings: Brown, at 365 pounds, is bigger and stronger than most players at his position. Generally, if he gets his hands on an opposing pass-rusher, Brown wins that snap. But he doesn’t have quick feet for a tackle and can struggle at times with speed rushers. That’s one reason some teams were shy about acquiring Brown to play him at left tackle. But he had enough winning snaps last season that the Chiefs felt comfortable going forward with him at a most important line position — Adam Teicher
Franchise tag salary: $10,931,000
Career highlights: Njoku, a first-round pick of the Browns in 2017, has totaled 148 receptions, 1,754 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns over four seasons in Cleveland. His best season came in 2018, when he connected with then-rookie QB Baker Mayfield for a career-high 56 receptions. After a couple of down years statistically, Njoku has since enjoyed a resurgence as a co-starter alongside Austin Hooper in coach Kevin Stefanski’s two-tight-end base offense. After combining for just 24 catches the previous two years, he finished with 36 last season.
Why he was tagged: Tagging Njoku gives the Browns a window to work out a multiyear extension before the start of next season. If they can hammer out a deal before the July 15 deadline, the Browns can lower Njoku’s cap hit for 2022 while keeping him under contract for the foreseeable future. If they can’t, at least the Browns will have him for next season. Losing Njoku would’ve left Cleveland scrambling to find a tight end replacement in free agency when other needs are more pressing.
What he brings: Njoku knows Stefanski’s system and he has enjoyed a rapport with Mayfield in the past, even if at times that’s been sporadic. Njoku’s ability to both block in Cleveland’s run-heavy offense and also slip downfield and produce big plays off play-action is what the Browns need out of their tight ends for their offense to really click. That said, Cleveland will need Njoku to be a more consistent pass-catching threat week to week than what he has often shown in the past to make the money really count here. — Jake Trotter
Franchise tag salary: $12,911,000
Career highlights: From the moment Bates arrived, the 2018 second-round pick out of Wake Forest has been a high-impact player for the Bengals. He started Week 1 of his rookie season and then proceeded to make 51 consecutive starts, the sixth-longest streak in franchise history. In 2020, Pro Football Focus rated Bates as the No. 1 safety in the league. He had two interceptions in Cincinnati’s 2021 postseason run, including one against the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI.
Why he was tagged: Bates’ rookie deal was set to expire at the end of the current league year. Cincinnati and Bates discussed a long-term contract before the 2021 season started, but those eventually fizzled out prior to Week 1. Bates had been trending toward the franchise tag even before he had a slow start in ’21, before he finally rounded into form as Cincinnati secured its first playoff berth since 2015. The team values Bates as one of the franchise’s best players but is obviously hesitant to lock him up to a long-term deal.
What he brings: Bates, 25, showed why he is so valuable during the Bengals’ best season in 33 years. As a free safety, he gives defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo a lot of schematic flexibility at the back of the defense. That allows Cincinnati to play Cover 1 defense with Bates roaming in the backfield and lets Anarumo commit more players, including safety Vonn Bell, closer to the line of scrimmage. Bates made a deflection that led to the game-turning interception in overtime of the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs, a play that illustrated what he brings Cincinnati. — Ben Baby