The NFL offseason is afoot and the window is open for all 32 teams to place the franchise tag on one of their respective unrestricted free agents. The NFL’s franchise tag window opened on Tuesday afternoon and will close on March 4 at 4 p.m. ET.
Earlier speculation suggested the Kansas City Chiefs would likely use the tag on right guard Trey Smith, who’s set to hit the open market next month. But it turns out that won’t be happening at all.
While on a podcast with the Kansas City Sports Network, a recent report from Nate Taylor of The Athletic reveals that the Chiefs will not be using the franchise tag this offseason. This marks a significant shift in strategy for a team that has used the franchise tag in recent years to keep key players under contract.
The decision comes amid a tight salary cap situation for the Chiefs. Kansas City currently ranks 24th in cap space with $3.23 million. With 20 unrestricted in-house free agents, the franchise tag would tie up too much money in a single player. In the case of Trey Smith, placing the tag on an offensive lineman will cost the team around $25 million for one season. A number that’s far too high for the team to add to their payroll before the start of the new league year and the opening of free agency.
Instead, the Chiefs are likely focused on negotiating short or long-term deals that are cap-friendly and restructuring their highest contracts to create the necessary financial flexibility.
Team’s that do use the tag will have until July 15 to reach a long-term extension with their respective players.
Overall, the Chiefs’ decision to forgo the franchise tag highlights their ongoing efforts to balance roster sustainability with financial flexibility. The team will focus on locking up key players through more manageable contract extensions and continue to make moves that support their long-term championship aspirations.
