EAGAN, Minn. — The NFL’s two-week franchise tag window opened Tuesday, allowing teams the option of placing the franchise tag or transition tag on a player who is scheduled to become a free agent. Teams are limited to the use of one each year.
The window for 2026 will close on March 3, the day after the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine closes.
As a guide to options for the Vikings and other teams during this window, here is a refresher.
What’s the difference between a (non-exclusive or exclusive) franchise tag or transition tag?
The non-exclusive franchise tag is a one-year tender of the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position over the past five years, or 120% of the player’s previous salary. The player can negotiate with other teams, but the current team has the right to match any offer. If the player signs elsewhere, the team receives two first-round picks.
The exclusive franchise tag protects a team’s rights to negotiate with the player, but it raises the pay to the current average of the top five salaries instead of averaging the previous five years. If 120% of the player’s previous salary is higher than that number, then that would be the amount. Positions that are extremely hard to fill (and increase the likelihood of another team giving up two first-round picks) are more likely to receive this tag.
The transition tag is a one-year offer for the average of the top 10 salaries at the position, so it costs less than either franchise tag option. The original club has the first refusal right to match any offer from another club, but the prior team is not awarded any compensation if a player signs elsewhere.
What is a team’s motivation?
Teams are essentially buying time, either to extend the negotiation window with its own player (you’ll see that happened quite a bit in 2024), to work out a deal with a trade partner or to retain the services of a player for one more season.