The NFL’s franchise tag deadline has come and gone, with the focus on free agency, which officially opens at 4 p.m. ET on March 12. Deals can be made before then, though, as the so-called legal tempering period begins at noon ET on March 10. But plenty of action is already underway as teams cut veterans, re-sign stars and shop around for potential trades.
The Dallas Cowboys have worked out a four-year, $80 million deal with defensive tackle Osa Odighijua, who is reportedly set to be on the tag if a deal can’t be reached.
Meanwhile, Darnold seemed like a straightforward candidate for the tag, buying him more time to try to work out a long-term deal with the Vikings. But the $40.2 million tag for the QB (see below) was too high for the Vikings and would limit their ability to build the rest of the roster.
The Seahawks executed part 1 of a plan Friday by trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, where he will reunite with head coach Pete Carroll. Next step: Pursue Sam Darnold in free agency.
The Bengals are sticking to their announced plan. For now, at least.
When they applied the franchise tag to receiver Tee Higgins for the second year, the Bengals reiterated their “intent” to try to sign Higgins to a long-term deal. That means they won’t trade him immediately.
Via Diana Russini of TheAthletic.com, “multiple teams” have contacted the Bengals about trading Higgins. The Bengals said Higgins “remains unavailable” as they work toward a long-term deal.
On the one hand,
it would be very difficult for the Bengals to turn his $26.16 million in 2025 and 2026 free agency into a long-term deal. They would have to make him an offer with guarantees that would extend beyond this year; the Bengals have generally shied away from that. Even if they were willing to offer him at least two years of fully guaranteed compensation, the dollars wouldn’t matter. Higgins could always say, “No thanks,” take his cash for 2025 and go to the highest bidder in 2026.On the other hand, the Bengals need to appease quarterback Joe Burrow. Even if they can’t, and ultimately don’t, make Higgins an offer he can’t refuse, the Bengals need Burrow to think they’ve done everything they can to make it happen. They need Burrow to believe that, at the end of the day, Higgins is the guy who was unreasonable.
At this point, they can’t seem to want to trade him. In late April, when the draft rolls around, the Bengals may feel differently.
In the meantime, other teams could host Higgins for a visit. Even if no one signs him to an offer sheet that, if matched, would send the Bengals a pair of first-round picks, he’s allowed to talk to anyone (until next Wednesday). If nothing else, such a visit could set the stage for the moment when the Bengals believe they can convince the Bulls that their failure to sign Higgins to a long-term deal wasn’t their fault.
The dance has just begu
. It’s going to continue. And Higgins has plenty of moves he can make. Ultimately, he could reject all offers, sit out the offseason program, training camp and preseason. He could show up just before the start of the regular season, claim his $26.16 million, and be ready to sign with whichever team he wants in 2026.
If the Bengals want to keep him beyond 2025
The franchise tag deadline has come and gone. Two players have been tagged: Chiefs guard Trey Smith, due $23.4 million next season, and Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, due $26.2 million in his second year under the tag. One player was extended just before being tagged: Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, who signed a four-year, $80 million extension Tuesday afternoon. And there were some players who could have stayed, but didn’t get the tag. Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, Buccaneers receiver Chris Godwin and Dolphins safety Jevon Holland will now enter unrestricted free agency, which begins with the legal tampering period at noon ET on March 10.
Tag Day is far from a hard and fast conclusion on all of these players. Everyone can still return to their responsible team with big extensions; even the taggers who can still be traded. But the franchise tag deadline sets some dominoes in motion for free agent time.
Here are my winners and losers from Tuesday’s franchise-tag news and what everyone stands to gain — or lose — from the fallout. Let’s start with both quarterbacks in Minnesota.
That’s the big “if.” While other quarterback recoveries — Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith, Jared Goff — were supposed to stay on the same team, Darnold looks like he’ll have to spend his only year of strong production elsewhere, as the Vikings didn’t franchise tag him. The possibility of a long-term extension in Minnesota remains (read: a multi-year deal with an escape hatch after one season and a $40.2 million cap hit in 2025).
