Today, February 18th, all 32 NFL teams can begin to franchise tag a player. Due to the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), every team is allowed to give out a franchise tag every season.
Now, the term franchise tag is thrown around pretty often and you may not know what it actually means. Below, we will go over what the NFL franchise tag is. There are a few kinds, so we will break it down so you can be the smart one in your friend group. Additionally, we will provide the 2025 NFL franchise tag cost for every position.
What is an NFL Franchise Tag?
The NFL franchise tag is a tool that teams were granted thanks to the current CBA, giving teams a lot of power. If a player is on an expiring contract, the team can tender a one-year contract, relative to the market value, in order to prevent them from leaving. A team can only do this once per season.
The terms and value of the franchise tag depend on the type. There are three types to choose from:
- Exclusive franchise tag
- Non-exclusive franchise tag
- Transition tag
Types of NFL Franchise Tags
Exclusive Franchise Tag: The exclusive tag prohibits the player from negotiating with any other team. When given the exclusive franchise tag, their only choice is to sign the one-year contract with their current team (or not play). The tag is worth either the average of the top five salaries at the position for the current year or 120% of the player’s previous salary. Whichever is greater.
Non-Exclusive Franchise Tag: This is the most common type of NFL franchise tag that you will see. The team will offer a one-year deal worth the average of the position’s top five salaries of the past five years or 120% of the player’s previous salary. Whichever is greater. Additionally, the player is allowed to negotiate a deal with other teams. The current team would then be able to match the offer to sign the player or decline it. If declined, the new team must send the current team two first-round draft picks.
Transition Tag: The transition tag is similar to the non-exclusive franchise tag as the current team can match the offer sheet signed by the departing player. However, the offer sent to the player is an average of the top 10 salaries of the past five years, and the current team would not get a draft pick if they choose not to match the offer.
When Does the NFL Franchise Tag Window Open?
The 2025 NFL franchise tag window opens on February 18th at 4 p.m. ET. This will last two weeks, closing on March 4th at 4 p.m. ET. If a player receives a franchise tag, they will have until Tuesday, July 15 at 4 p.m. ET to agree to a long-term extension with their team. If the window passes prior to reaching a new deal, players are only allowed to sign one-year deals with teams and cannot negotiate again until the next offseason.
NFL Franchise Tag Cost 2025
These are the 2025 NFL franchise tag costs for each position, as well as the costs for transition tags, according to OverTheCap.
| Position | Franchise Tag |
| QB | $41,325,000 |
| RB | $13,629,000 |
| WR | $25,693,000 |
| TE | $14,241,000 |
| OL | $25,156,000 |
| LB | $27,050,000 |
| DE | $24,727,000 |
| DT | $23,468,000 |
| CB | $20,357,000 |
| S | $19,626,000 |
| ST | $6,459,000 |
NFL Transition Tag Cost 2025
| Position | Transition Tag |
| QB | $35,267,000 |
| RB | $10,823,000 |
| WR | $22,523,000 |
| TE | $12,069,000 |
| OL | $22,745,000 |
| LB | $22,612,000 |
| DE | $20,769,000 |
| DT | $18,934,000 |
| CB | $17,198,000 |
| S | $15,598,000 |
| ST | $5,830,000 |
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