March 3, 2026, 4:04 p.m. ET
The window for NFL teams to utilize the franchise tag or the transition tag has passed, and as expected, the Jacksonville Jaguars chose not to use either.
The Jagurs did, however, have two free agents in Devin Lloyd and Travis Etienne who could have been candidates to receive one of those tags.
In short, the reason that the Jaguars won’t use the tag comes down to the cost to do so.
Why didn’t Jaguars use franchise tag on Devin Lloyd or Travis Etienne?
The projected franchise tag number for a linebacker is close to $28 million. That’s a lot to pay for a defender who doesn’t rush the quarterback.
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The running back’s franchise tag amount is projected to be around $14 million, which is more than Etienne is expected to earn on a per year basis on his next contract.
Jacksonville also prepared for Etienne’s possible departure by drafting Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen last offseason.
The Jaguars could still work out long-term deals with either player prior to the NFL’s legal tampering period opening on March 9th, but it sure seems like both Lloyd and Etienne are destined to hit the open market.
If Etienne signs elsewhere, the running back depth behind Tuten and Allen will have to be bolstered.
If Lloyd joins a new team, linebacker possibly becomes a greater need, with the starting spot next to Foye Oluokun up for grabs. The urgency with which James Gladstone addresses linebacker could come down to how he feels about Ventrell Miller, Jack Kiser, or Jalen McLeod potentially stepping into a larger role.
PFF is projecting that Lloyd earns $16 million per year on his next deal, while Spotrac projects that he earns more than $20 million per season on his new contract.