The NFL is a deadline-driven business. Except when it isn’t.
For players who are hit with the franchise tag or the transition tag, the key date is July 15. That’s the last day for tagged players and their teams to do multi-year deals.
The rule itself is stupid. It places an artificial barrier on teams and players who would otherwise decide to extend their relationship if/when, for example: (1) the player has an injury scare and decides to take the last, best offer made; or (2) the player gets off to a great start in the regular season and the team decides to give him what he wants.
But the rule remains the rule. In past years, the rule has resulted in most long-term deals for franchise-tagged players getting done at or close to the mid-July deadline.
This year, seven of nine tagged players already have their deals, with only two franchise-tagged players — Bengals receiver Tee Higgins and Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. — have yet to sign long-term deals.
The benefit for both sides is to get the player on board for offseason workouts. Still, for the player, waiting never makes the offer worse. Whatever is on the table now will be there on July 15. That’s one of the main reasons why deals don’t get done until the deadline. The sooner you move to your best position, the more likely you’ll be squeezed away from it.
Each player and team will have their own reasons for doing their deals when they do them. The players could have waited. They didn’t. The teams could have waited. They didn’t.
For the last two, the wait continues.
