Don’t expect the Packers to use the Franchise Tag in 2024 (as usual)

Arnell Savage may be the most likely candidate for a tag, but it is practically impossible for the Packers to offer him that much money.

Tuesday, February 20th is a significant date in the NFL’s 2024 offseason: it is the start of the Franchise Tag Period. Teams can start designating Franchise or Transition players today, with March 5th being the last day to use these designations.

As a reminder, the Franchise and Transition Tags allow NFL teams to retain exclusive or preferred negotiating rights with players who will become free agents at the start of the new league year (this year’s date is Wednesday, March 13th). Players that receive one of the tags will receive a one-year guaranteed contract offer, with the value of the offer determined by the player’s position, 2023 salary, and tag type applied.

In general, Franchise and Transition tag amounts are intended to pay a player near the top of the market for his position. The Green Bay Packers are unlikely to utilize a tag on their next unrestricted free agents, as it would be an unexpected move.

As a reminder, here is the list of incoming UFAs from the Packers’ 2023 roster, ordered by snap counts on offense or defense:

SCB/KR Keisean Nixon S. Jonathan Owens S Rudy Ford S Darnell Savage RB AJ Dillon
CB Corey Ballentine OT Yosh Nijman TE Josiah Deguara (LB) Eric Wilson TE Tyler Davis LB Kristian Welch

Nixon had the greatest playing time of any of these players in 2023, accounting for more over 70% of defensive snaps as the team’s starting slot cornerback. However, the cornerback Franchise Tag sum is predicted to be approximately $19 million (per Overthecap.com), which is far higher than his genuine value.

Similarly, the Packers’ three safeties each played more than half of the team’s defensive snaps, but they are much less likely to be tagged. The safest Franchise Tag should be slightly north of $16 million, which is significantly higher than any of these players’ market prices.

The Packers have utilized the Franchise Tag only once in the last 13 years, in 2022, when they tagged wide receiver Davante Adams. Adams was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders a few weeks later.

Prior to Adams’ tag, Green Bay has only tagged two players since 2000: defensive linemen Corey Williams (2008) and Ryan Pickett (2010). Pickett signed a long-term contract that offseason, but Williams, like Adams 14 years later, was traded to Cleveland.