Fifteen teams assigned a franchise tag or a transition tag to players in 2020. Over the course of an NFL offseason, some news can get lost in the shuffle, especially amid a pandemic.
Below are updates on all tagged players, starting with Kansas City’s Chris Jones. All players have until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal with their teams.
DT Chris Jones – Kansas City Chiefs – Unsigned
Jones has been adamant in his demands for a lucrative long-term deal and has yet to sign his franchise tag. Jones even hinted at sitting out without a deal, like how Le’Veon Bell sat out all of 2018 instead of signing his tag with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
RB Kenyan Drake – Arizona Cardinals – Signed
Drake signed his transition tag in March, which will pay him just over $8.4 million in 2020. Drake will be Arizona’s lead back in 2020 and will likely look for a multi-year deal next offseason.
LB Matthew Judon – Baltimore Ravens – Signed
Judon signed his tag at the end of May, which will pay him $16.8 million. He made his first Pro Bowl in 2019 and led the Ravens in sacks and QB hits.
WR A.J. Green – Cincinnati Bengals – Unsigned
Green has yet to sign his tag with the Bengals. The seven-time Pro-Bowler missed seven games in 2018 due to a toe injury, and all of 2019 with an ankle injury. He turns 32 at the end of July.
QB Dak Prescott – Dallas Cowboys – Signed
Prescott signed the $31.4 million tag last Monday, but both him and the Cowboys have been negotiating a long-term extension.
S Justin Simmons – Denver Broncos – Unsigned
Simmons has not signed his 2020 tag yet. While the Broncos did place the tag on him, GM John Elway has stated that Simmons remains a priority for the team, and the tag is simply a placeholder.
DE Yannick Ngakoue – Jacksonville Jaguars – Unsigned
Not only has Ngakoue not signed his tag, he has also been very vocal about his trade demands. Simply put, he wants out of Jacksonville. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, he has no immediate plans to sign the tag. If you are looking for a holdout, keep your eyes on Ngakoue and the Jaguars.
TE Hunter Henry – Los Angeles Chargers – Signed
Henry signed his $10.6 million tag in April. After missing all of 2018 with a torn ACL, Henry put together a solid season, tallying 652 yards and 5 touchdowns in 12 games, both ranking top-10 in the league among tight ends.
S Anthony Harris – Minnesota Vikings – Signed
Harris signed his tag in May, guaranteeing his $11.4 million salary for 2020. Harris racked up six interceptions in 2019, tying him for the league lead. Harris has stated he wants to remain in Minnesota long-term.
G Joe Thuney – New England Patriots – Signed
Thuney locked in his $14.8 million salary by signing his tag in March. Thuney earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2019 and has allowed just one sack over the last two seasons.
DT Leonard Williams – New York Giants – Signed
The Giants traded for Williams last October, sending the Jets a 2020 third-rounder (later S Ashtyn Davis) and a 2021 fifth-rounder. The Giants want to keep Williams around for at least one more season, and Williams officially signed the tag in April.
LB Bud Dupree – Pittsburgh – Signed
While Dupree remains in Pittsburgh’s long-term plans, he will play the 2020 season on the tag, worth $15.8 million. Dupree was a first-round pick in 2015, and is coming off a career year in 2019, which he registered 11.5 sacks.
LB Shaq Barrett – Tampa Bay – Unsigned
Barrett hasn’t signed his tag but has stated that he will if no long-term deal is reached. Barrett led the league with 19.5 sacks in 2019 and will make $15.8 million in 2020 if he signs the tag.
RB Derrick Henry – Tennessee Titans – Signed
The NFL’s rushing leader signed his $10.2 million tag. The 26-year-old ran for 1,540 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2019 and led the Titans through both New England and Baltimore in the playoffs.
OG Brandon Scherff – Washington Redskins – Signed
Scherff signed his $15 million tag at the end of March. Scherff had negotiated with the Redskins during the 2019 season but couldn’t come to an agreement. New coach Ron Rivera views him as a core player for the team.
Again, all of these players have until July 15 to sign a long-term deal before the 2020 season. If no deal is reached before then, teams and players will have to wait until after the 2020 season to negotiate again. As many say, the NFL is a deadline-driven business, so keep an eye out for the next two weeks leading up to July 15.
