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With the NFL’s franchise tag deadline having officially passed, several notable names remain without long-term deals entering training camp.
Teams had until 4 p.m. ET on Friday to sign franchise-tagged players to multi-year extensions, or risk losing them in a year when said players would be eligible to hit the market after playing out the 2022 season on the one-year tag. Of the eight players who received a franchise tag this offseason, only four were unable to ink new contracts: Bengals safety Jessie Bates, Chiefs offensive tackle Orlando Brown, Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki and Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz.
As of Friday afternoon, only Gesicki and Schultz have signed their tags, meaning both will earn a salary of $10.9 million before hitting free agency next spring. Bates and Brown, on the other hand, have not signed their tags up to this point and appear headed for holdouts until they find a resolution with their respective teams.
Per NFL Network, Brown is expected to sit the start of training camp on July 26 and could eventually miss Week 1 after his team felt unsatisfied by the Chiefs’ latest offer. The 26-year-old left tackle has reportedly been asking the club for “top-of-the-market money,” which Kansas City has not shown a willingness to provide. Should the three-time Pro Bowler have a change of heart, he will earn $16.7 million if he signs the franchise tag prior to the season opener.
Meanwhile, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reported Bates is not expected to sign the tag or appear for the start of camp, which also begins on July 26 for the Bengals veterans. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported there had been “no traction” on a new deal for the standout safety in the days leading up to Friday, signaling things could be far from over as Bates continues to wait for the right terms.
Elsewhere in the NFL, the other four franchise-tagged players—Jaguars OL Cam Robinson, Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin, Browns TE David Njoku and Raiders WR Davante Adams—were able to agree to new deals prior to June 1.
Godwin, who is currently recovering from a torn ACL, signed a three-year, $60 million extension in March which preceded Adams’ blockbuster trade to the Raiders where he subsequently signed a monster five-year deal. Robinson signed a three-year, $54 million extension a few weeks later while Njoku inked a four-year, $56.75 million deal in May to become the fifth-highest paid TE in the NFL.
