What is the non-exclusive tag in the NFL and how does it work?
The franchise tag deadline has come and gone, and the Baltimore Ravens have used a non-exclusive one on quarterback Lamar Jackson. Here’s what it means.
NFL teams are entitled to issuing a franchise tag to one player per year, and six teams have just used theirs, including one on quarterback Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens. All players received a non-exclusive one. What does it mean exactly?
An NFL team applies a franchise tag to a player who is set to enter free agency, and the tag ensures that he will stay with the team one more year under a hefty contract, following certain conditions.
.@CollinsworthPFF shares his thoughts on Lamar Jackson’s franchise tag:⁰⁰ “I actually think the Ravens are brilliant with what they’re doing.”
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) March 8, 2023
📺: @FanDuelTV | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/aaDw3waf5n
What is an exclusive franchise tag?
An exclusive tag, as the name implies, gives a player’s team exclusive rights to negotiate with other teams, leaving the athlete no say in where he will go. If another franchise makes an offer to the team for the player’s services and he does not accept it, he will not be able to sign with any other team in the league for the whole season.
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What is a non-exclusive franchise tag?
The non-exclusive tag, on the other hand, permits players to negotiate with other teams. If the player receives an offer that is acceptable to him, the team to which he belongs has the chance to match it. In Jackson’s case, an attractive contract would likely be a long-term deal that would provide for a higher figure than that offered by the tag. The league’s non-exclusive franchise tag value is placed at $32.4 million for quarterbacks for the 2023-24 NFL season.
"The Ravens are putting their mansion on the market."@KyleBrandt and @MikeGiardi discuss what the non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson means for the rest of the league. 👀 (via @gmfb) pic.twitter.com/xSLIPFJL5D
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) March 8, 2023
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If the organization chooses not to offer an equal (or greater) contract and the player transfers to the other team, they are entitled to two first-round draft picks from the franchise acquiring the player.
The non-exclusive tag also gives a team more time to negotiate with the player for a long-term agreement. This appears to be the case with the Ravens, who have been unable to come to a deal with Jackson.