For a handful of NFL players, Friday marks the last opportunity for some time to seize long-term security.
Players who are on the franchise tag face a 4 p.m. ET deadline to sign a multiyear contract. Otherwise, they can only sign a one-year deal – likely for the amount of their franchise tender – before returning to the market again in 2023.
Several players – Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku, Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams (who was originally tagged by the Green Bay Packers before being traded), Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin and Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Cam Robinson – have signed lucrative extensions in recent months after receiving the tag earlier this offseason. Yet others are still waiting and might not be as fortunate.
Here’s a full explainer of where things stand:
Which players are currently on the franchise tag for 2022?
Jessie Bates III, S, Cincinnati Bengals: A key catalyst on a Cincinnati defense that helped pave the way for last season’s trip to the Super Bowl, Bates is an apparent long shot to receive the long-term deal he covets.
Bates is not expected to receive an extension before Friday’s deadline, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported this week, with his $12.9 million tender marking a substantial discount compared to the top of the safety market, which was set last month when Minkah Fitzpatrick and the Pittsburgh Steelers struck a four-year, $73.6 million deal ($18.24 million per year). Having not…
