(670 The Score) In his rookie contract negotiations, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams asked for a clause that would prevent the team from using the franchise tag on him after his initial deal expires, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk told the Bernstein & Holmes Show on Wednesday.
The Bears declined the request, Florio said.
As of early Wednesday afternoon, Williams had agreed to terms on his rookie contract with the Bears and it was finalized, according to multiple reports, but the team still hadn’t yet announced that news in a press release.
Players generally dislike the franchise tag because — while it pays very well — it's a one-year contract that allows teams to prevent players from entering free agency at that moment in time. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's contract includes a clause that prevents Dallas from using the franchise tag on him, but such a clause is rare in the NFL.
"There are some snags that they're trying to work out,” Florio said late Wednesday morning. “One thing I'm told is there was an effort made to get the Bears to agree not to use the franchise tag on Caleb Williams after he finished the fifth year of his contract, assuming they picked up the option, and that did not go anywhere. But that just gives you a flavor of what they were trying to do – and have every right to try to do – given the leverage you have when you got a great quarterback like Caleb Williams and you want him to come in with the right possible vibe. Effort to get rid of the franchise tag failed. Other language is still being haggled.”