Feb. 3, 2026, 10:19 a.m. ET
What is the franchise tag, and does it apply to the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason?
Each team has the ability to use the franchise tag on one of their pending free agents each offseason.
If applied, a franchise tag is essentially a one-year deal. The contract amount is predetermined and takes into account which position the tagged player plays.
According to Over the Cap, “franchise tag figures are based upon the top five salaries at each respective position.”
What are the 2026 franchise tag amounts?
With help from Over the Cap, here is a positional breakdown of the 2026 franchise tag figures:
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.QB: $47.32MWR: $28.82MLB: $28.19MOL: $27.92MDE: $27.32MDT: $26.31MCB: $21.41MS: $20.87MTE: $16.31MRB: $14.5MST: $6.9MWho are the Jaguars‘ 2026 free agents?S Andrew WingardCB Montaric BrownCB Greg NewsomeWR Dyami BrownRB Travis EtienneLB Devin LloydTE Quintin MorrisDE Dawuane SmootLB Dennis GardeckDT Austin JohnsonWR Tim PatrickDE Emmanuel OgbahWill the Jaguars use the franchise tag in 2026?
If the Jaguars were going to consider using the tag, Devin Lloyd and Travis Etienne are the two most likely candidates. However, we can confidently say that Jacksonville won’t be using the tag at all in 2026.
In Lloyd’s case, that $28.19 million figure is a hefty price to pay for a non-pass rusher. With Etienne, that’s a steep price as well, especially considering that the Jaguars drafted Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen last April.
Now, perhaps the Jaguars find a way to bring one of these players back on a new deal, but I can’t imagine either player is playing on the franchise tag in 2026.