Why have no NFL teams used the franchise tag yet?
The window for NFL teams to place a franchise tag on one of their players who is a pending free agent is currently open, but it's closing quickly. Each year, there is a designated two-week period. During this time, all teams need to decide if they are going to use their franchise tag, and if so, who they will place it on. In the 2022 offseason, that period started on February 22nd, and it will end on March 8th.
The window to apply the franchise tag is now more than three quarters of the way complete. With just two days remaining for NFL teams to make their decisions, a grand total of zero franchise tags have been applied to this point. Teams are still waiting patiently before they apply their tags, and there are a few factors that play into their decision to wait.
NFL Franchise Tag period opened almost two weeks ago, but as I said at the time, there won't be any tags until Tuesday. #DeadlinesSpurAction
If the deadline for placing a tag is March 8th, then there is no real benefit to tagging a player before that date. Using as much time as possible to make the right decision is a smart strategy. Each team only has the ability to use the tag on one player, so some teams have tough decisions to make about which of their pending free agents they want to use it on.
For teams that are deciding between multiple players, it makes sense to negotiate new contracts with all of them first and assess each situation before choosing which one to tag. The same can be said for teams debating whether or not to use their tag at all, as they are not required to use one. Waiting as long as possible before officially applying the tag appears to be the best move for all NFL teams.
Which NFL superstars could be franchise tagged during the 2022 offseason?
After being unable to come to an agreement on a long-term contract extension, Davante Adams will almost definitely be the franchise tagged this year. Chris Godwin and Mike Williams are some of the other wide receivers who could join him.
The Los Angeles Chargers "are prepared to franchise tag" Mike Williams. #BoltUp https://t.co/MskNupclRk
Other star players who are rumored to be candidates to receive the tag include JC Jackson, Orlando Brown, Dalton Schultz, Randy Gregory, Harold Landry, Terron Armstead, David Njoku, Mike Gesicki and Jessie Bates. Last year, ten NFL players received the franchise, so it will be interesting to see how many get tagged this year.