2024 NFL Franchise Tag Predictions: Josh Allen, Tee Higgins stay with their respective teams
As the 2024 NFL offseason has officially begun, the first important event for fans to follow along is seeing which players get franchise tagged.
The franchise tag window opened today, Tuesday, and will remain open until 4:00 p.m. on March 5.
If a player is tagged, he and his team have until mid-July to hammer out a long-term deal.
This offseason, a handful of players could and are expected to be franchise tagged.
What is franchise tag in NFL and how does it work?
The NFL franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag forces the player to remain with his respective team if a deal can be agreed upon by both sides.
Each team has a franchise tag and can only use it on one player each offseason.
If a player is tagged, they play on a one-year fully guaranteed contract that is the average salary of the top five players at their position.
Players can be tagged and then agree to a long-term deal in the same offseason. Teams often do this so that they have more time to negotiate long-term deals, while not allowing their player to hit the open market.
Notably, a player can also be traded to another team even if franchise tagged.
2024 franchise tag predictions for all 32 teams
Any of the 32 teams could use the franchise tag on a player from their roster that is set to become a free agent. However, that doesn't mean each team will use the tag.
Here are some possible franchise tag candidates and predictions:
#1. Jacksonville Jaguars: possible candidates - Josh Allen, Calvin Ridley.
Prediction - Jaguars tag Josh Allen
#2. Cincinnati Bengals: possible candidate - Tee Higgins
Prediction - Bengals tag Tee Higgins
#3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: possible candidates - Antoine Winfield Jr., Mike Evans, Baker Mayfield
Prediction - Buccaneers tag Antoine Winfield Jr.
#4. Carolina Panthers: possible candidates - Brian Burns
Prediction - Panthers tag Brian Burns
#5. Chicago Bears: possible candidates - Jaylon Johnson
Prediciton - Bears tag Jaylon Johnson
#6. Miami Dolphins: possible candidates - Christian Wilkins
Prediciton - Dolphins tag Christian Wilkins
#7. New York Giants: Saquon Barkley
Prediction - no tag
#8. Kansas City Chiefs: possible candidates - Chris Jones, L'Jarius Snead
Prediciton- no tag
#9. Indianapolis Colts: possible candidates - Michael Pittman
Prediction - no tag
#10. New England Patriots: possible candidates - Kyle Dugger, Mike Onwenu
Predcition - no tag
#11. Las Vegas Raiders: possible candidates - Josh Jacobs
Prediciton - no tag
#12. New York Jets: possible candidates - Bryce Hugg
Predcition - no tag
#13. New Orleans Saints: possible candidates - Andrus Peat
Prediction - no tag
Predictions for all other 19 NFL teams: no tags
In total, 13 different teams have at least one possible candidate to franchise tag, with a few teams having several options they could tag.
Who do you think will be franchise tagged this offseason? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.