2021 NFL franchise tag: 7 key players to watch

Quarterback Dak Prescott and the Cowboys failed to reach an agreement on a long-term contract last year, and he played under the franchise tag. It's a real possibility that could happen again in 2021.

Reports suggest that if a deal isn't worked out by March 9, that's indeed what will happen. There's some uncertainty about Prescott’s future going forward. He's returning from a gruesome ankle injury, which he sustained in Week 5 and which ended his season, though the Cowboys are confident he'll return healthy.

Whether that impacts negotiations remains to be seen. Regardless of injury, the Cowboys don't want Prescott to hit free agency. If he's to be tagged again, he'd join Kirk Cousins as the only other quarterback to be placed on the franchise tag in two consecutive seasons. The tag is expected to be $37.7 million, an increase from the $31.4 million he played on last year’s franchise tag. If the Cowboys want to sign Prescott to a long-term deal, $40 million annually may be needed to get it done.

Bears receiver Allen Robinson's future has been a cloud hanging over the Bears this past season, as the two sides never came to an agreement, making him a prime franchise tag candidate as he's on a path for free agency.

Robinson has reiterated that everything is on the table — whether that is playing for the Bears or hitting free agency — but he would prefer to not play on the franchise tag. Robinson, 27, just finished a contract that had an average annual value of $14 million. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the salary cap this season is likely to be lower, which means a wide receiver on the franchise tag may only receive $15 million to $16 million instead of the $18.5 million from last year.

The Bears appear to be hesitant on making a long-term offer to Robinson. His prior history with knee issues, including a torn ACL in 2017, raises some concerns and Chicago may rather play it safe on a one-year deal.

That probably wouldn't make Robinson happy, as many talented receivers of his caliber are netting $20 million or more annually. With the Bears set on bringing in a new quarterback, having a talented receiver like Robinson will be important. But if Robinson is unhappy, it could become a messy situation.

Another possibility is a tag-and-trade if it doesn't appear the two sides will reach a conclusion on a long-term extension. That would allow the Bears to at least receive something in return instead of allowing him to hit free agency.

Rumors are already circulating that it's expected the Lions will use the franchise tag on 27-year-old receiver Kenny Golladay, who's coming off an injury-plagued 2020 season in which he only played five games. The year prior, Golladay led the league with 11 touchdown receptions and reached the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career, which he expressed should be enough for the Lions to keep him if they really want him there.

While his injuries certainly cast some question marks long term, it would make sense for the Lions to try and bring Golladay back on the franchise tag, under which they'd have to pay him $15 million-$16 million. The Lions are also in the midst of a rebuild and could potentially use Golladay in a tag-and-trade scenario as well.

The Buccaneers reportedly plan to bring back receiver Chris Godwin for 2021, and one of their options to do so would be via the franchise tag.

Godwin has been an integral part of the Buccaneers' offense the last few seasons, hauling in 65 passes for 840 yards and seven touchdowns over 12 games with star quarterback Tom Brady this year. He’s arguably one the best receivers in the game along with counterpart Mike Evans.

Keeping Godwin could mean making a tough decision elsewhere though. Outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett and linebacker Lavonte David are also expected to hit free agency as well. If the Buccaneers can't sign Godwin long term and need to use the tag on him, Barrett or David could slip through the cracks.

When general manager Dave Gettleman traded a third- and fifth-round pick for defensive lineman Leonard Williams, he was criticized and essentially had no choice but to place the franchise tag on him last year.

Well, it turned out to work actually just fine. Williams had a career-high 11.5 sacks in 2020 with the Giants, proving that he may still reach his potential yet. While Williams’ 2020 season gives himself a compelling argument for a long-term deal, it's possible the Giants may choose to place a second franchise tag on Williams.

Such a move wouldn't necessarily save the Giants money – at least in the short term. Gettleman and Co. would essentially need to ask themselves this: Is Williams worth a long-term investment after one good season or should they pay more to retain him in 2021 and keep their cap space open for the future?

Texans receiver Will Fuller has shown flashes of his potential through his first five seasons in the league, but questions remain about whether he can stay on the field. Last year, it was a PED suspension that cost him the final six games of the season, making him a risky long-term investment for any team.

Because of that risk, it would make sense for the Texans to bring him back under the franchise tag. Houston is reportedly interested in keeping Fuller – who was a go-to receiver for Deshaun Watson (whether Watson stays in Houston is a whole other story). There was some talk the Texans would trade Fuller at the deadline last year, but placing him on the tag would give both Fuller and the Texans the opportunity to see if he can indeed stay on the field for an entire season and whether he'll earn that long-term deal.

The Ravens will likely use the franchise tag on either defensive end Yannick Ngakoue or linebacker Matthew Judon, but it seems as if the former is more likely because the team used the tag on Judon last year and it would cost them $20 million to do it again in 2021.

Of course, Ngakoue was placed on the franchise tag last year by the Jacksonville Jaguars and refused to play on it. He also took a pay cut from the tag on his revised one-year, $12-million deal when he was traded to the Vikings, which also didn't include a no-tag provision.

So, Ngakoue could very well be placed on the franchise tag again, which would cost approximately $16 million for the Ravens. Baltimore is a perennial playoff contender, so perhaps Ngakoue may be more amenable to playing on it for the Ravens.