NFL franchise tag tracker: Latest updates ahead of NFL free agency

Hundreds of NFL veterans are set to hit the open market and decide their futures via free agency this offseason. In a matter of weeks, teams league-wide will negotiate contracts with experienced players to fill roster needs. But not all of them will be available to negotiate. The NFL's collective bargaining agreement allows for a few tools franchises can use to ensure players who need a new contract won't hit the open market. Teams can use the franchise tag to secure one more year of a player's services through a pre-calculated, fully guaranteed deal. It's unusual for players to spend that season on the franchise tag, especially for non-quarterbacks. Instead, it's often a way for teams to secure more time at the negotiating table for in-house talent they want to extend. Here's the latest on franchise tags this offseason, as well as potential candidates and more. This section will be updated when franchise tags are made official. • Atlanta Falcons: Atlanta has placed the franchise tag on TE Kyle Pitts. • Dallas Cowboys: Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones told reporters Feb. 23 that the franchise plans on tagging WR George Pickens. • New York Jets: General manager Darren Mougey said that the "tags are an option" for Breece Hall when discussing the franchise's desire to keep the running back on the roster. Who has been franchise tagged? What is the franchise tag? The franchise tag is a one-year, fully guaranteed contract teams can give to one specific player per year to keep them from testing free agency. Franchises typically do not want to use the franchise tag because it is a fully guaranteed deal under the salary cap. The number is calculated by averaging out the top five contracts at the position for a given season. There are three types of tags for teams to pick from: • Non-exclusive franchise tag: This is the most common type of tag. Players are allowed to negotiate with other teams and sign an offer sheet. If that happens, the current team can either match that offer or let the player go in exchange for two first-round draft picks. Teams can also negotiate the terms of a trade if they prefer. • Exclusive franchise tag: A player with this tag cannot negotiate with other teams. They will play on his one-year deal, assuming the offer is signed. • Transition tag: Much like the non-exclusive tag, players can negotiate with other clubs in this situation. However, if the current team declines to match the offer sheet, they will be afforded no draft compensation for letting that player walk. Franchise tag valuations fluctuate based on position. Unsurprisingly, quarterbacks have the highest franchise tag number, while special teams players have the lowest. Here's the franchise tag projections for each position in 2026, per OverTheCap: The transition tag operates like the franchise tag, but it essentially makes the player a restricted free agent. If a team chooses to use the transition tag, the player will still head to free agency. At that point, the player is free to sign an offer sheet with any team. However, the transition tag means that the player's original team has a chance to match that offer sheet, similar to how it works in leagues like the NBA. Should a team decide to decline to match the offer sheet, they will receive no draft compensation for letting the player walk. From a cost perspective, the transition tag is cheaper than the franchise tag. The value is the average salary of the top 10 players at the position, compared with the top five for the non-exclusive tag. All the NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY's 4th and Monday newsletter. Check out the latest edition: Top 100 free agents for 2026.