The deadline of the franchise label has arrived and has left with only two players that were labeled in 2025. This is a significantly lower amount than last season, since nine players obtained the designation of the franchise and the transition label. With the salary increase of the salary, six players reached extensions, two players were changed and signed extensions with new teams, and one played all year on the label.
This was an unusual franchise label deadline, since 17 players received the franchise or transition label before the deadline in the last two years, which makes the lack of activity around the league so disconcerting.
This ended up being the slightest player labeled on the deadline of the franchise label since the 1994 season, one year after the NFL created the franchise label (and initially it was created for Quarterbacks). Only two players ended up obtaining the franchise label before the deadline, the open receiver of the Cincinnati Bengals, Tee Higgins, and the right guard of the Kansas City bosses, Trey Smith.
As Higgins and Smith were the only players labeled, this franchise label deadline was without incident compared to the previous years in the League. And this was with the ascending salary lid.
Regardless of the lack of activity with respect to the label, here were the winners and losers of the franchise label deadline.
Winner: Tee Higgins
The Cincinnati Bengals could not reach a long -term agreement with Higgins, so it was labeled again for the second consecutive year. Higgins will not have the opportunity to obtain a long -term agreement in the open market, but is receiving a salary increase of 120% of the Bengals.
The Higgins salary increases from $ 21.8 million to $ 26.2 million by 2025, since it will be paid among the 10 best videos in the game. This also gives Higgins more time to really reach a long -term agreement with the Bengals, where their salary could be even higher.
Since the Bengals failed to make a long -term agreement with Higgins again, their salary for 2025 can be a minimum of $ 26.2 million. Being the best receiver available in the low season also helps.
Loser: Cincinnati Bengals
Another year, the Bengals failed to make a long -term agreement with Higgins, placing the franchise label in the star receiver for the second consecutive year. The Bengals have continued waiting until the last minute to sign their players with long -term extensions, paying them more money since the market has been established.
Higgins certainly is worth its salary of $ 26.2 million this year, but the Bengals could have signed it at a much cheaper pace if they had signed it to an extension years ago. Ja’Mar Chase will be the best paid receiver as a result of this practice and can even be the first receiver of $ 40 million in the history of the NFL.
The players have left the Bengals due to their inability to sign their star players for long -term agreements. It is likely that Chase and Higgins remain, but at a higher amount than if the Bengals had signed them before.
Winner: Trey Smith
The bosses who decide to franchise Smith and keep it out of the free agents market made Smith the best paid in football. Smith had a salary increase of $ 3.4 million last season at $ 23.4 million this season as a result of the franchise label, since offensive linens are grouped instead of a position.
Due to the franchise label, Smith makes a higher salary about Landon Dickerson (previously the best paid guard) at $ 2.4 million. He wins $ 3.9 million more than the next highest right guard (Chris Lindstrom).
Chiefs also have more time to sign Smith for a long -term agreement, so it has it in the entire salary and as a more guaranteed result. Anyway, Smith should end with a better guard of Steh in football by 2025, restoring the market for its position.
The Patriots sought to add an open receiver No. 1 this low season, but the flagship beans franchised to Higgins to keep it out of the open market. This is a great blow to New England, since the Patriots could have offered Higgins a contract that would have convinced him to change equipment.
New England has the largest amount of space available in the NFL with $ 127.7 million, but the free agent options in the open receiver are being executed. For receptors No. 1, Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper and Chris Godwin are available, but none is at the same level as Higgins. Davante Adams is also a free agent too.
The best route for Patriots to find an open receiver No. 1 can be to look for an exchange for one. New England will have to offer selections for that player, however, even with the amount of capitalization space that the Patriots have to give that player an extension.
Higgins in the market would have been huge for Patriots.
The cowboys did not wait to sign Osa Odighta in a long -term agreement, signed by the defensive Tackle with a four -year agreement and $ 80 million before the deadline of the franchise label. The agreement included guaranteed $ 58 million and a signing bonus of $ 20 million.
This is a change of welcome rhythm for the cowboys, which generally wait until the market has been established before signing its star players. This is the reason why Dak Prescott and Ceedee Lamb have ridiculously high salaries, and why Micah Parsons will also have one.
Dallas has not been able to sign talent in free agency due to its capitalization situation, or present a strong list as a result of inflated contracts. Sign Odighta was a change of welcome rhythm, a precedent that cowboys should follow in the coming years.
The Minnesota Vikings decided not to franchise Darnold’s label, making it the best field marshal available in the free agency. Obtaining $ 40.2 million would have been ideal for Darnold, but Quarterback can now earn several years and more guaranteed money as a result of having a professional year.
What will be the market for Darnold? It is the best field marshal available in a limited group, launching for 4,319 yards and 35 TouchDowns last season (fifth in the NFL in both categories). In launches of more than 20 yards in the field, Darnold led the NFL at completion (34), termination rate (49%), Tauchdowns of pass (9) and pass yards (1,182).
The question is the question of free agency, but it seems that it will get to the north of $ 40 million a year.
Winner: Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings could have franchised to Darnold and kept him in the fold for another year, but they are using their options wisely. Minnesota could sign Darnold with a short -term extension in a home discount (the Vikings and Darnold have a good relationship), if JJ McCarthy is not ready for the beginning of the season. They can also sign a veteran field marshal at a much cheaper pace to compete with McCarthy and let Darnold walk.
McCarthy is the future Field Marshal of the franchise and the Vikings are being wise with their investment. Vikings can also pay Darnold for $ 62.9 million in available capitalization space, but they could significantly improve a good list with that money to spend.
The Vikings are being wise about Darnold. There is no reason to franchise it if they did not have to do it.
Loser: Franchise label deadline
This year’s franchise label deadline resulted in the slightest number of players who received the franchise label since 1994, since only Higgins and Smith were labeled by their respective teams. This occurs after eight players received the franchise/transition label last season and six in 2023. At least six players have been labeled in each low season since 2019, which makes this year’s lack of activity even more surprising.
So why were there so few players labeled this low season? This kind of free agent is not as deep as in previous years, and the growing cost of wages in all positions does not make a player feasible. Teams that are also usually franchised by label players need to comply with the limit or are in the middle of a reconstruction.
Higgins would not have been franchiseed if the Bengals had reached a long -term agreement with him. Chiefs have franchised players in recent years, buying more time to sign or send a team in an agreement for selections.
There was simply much action on the deadline of this year. That should change next year.
