The deadline for NFL teams to use the franchise tag on a player came and went.  For the second consecutive year, the Seahawks passed on using the franchise tag on a player. The Seahawks are notoriously stingy when it comes to using the franchise tag on their players. The last time the Seahawks used the franchise tag was in 2019 when they tagged defensive end, Frank Clark. The other time the duo of general manager John  Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll was in 2010 for Olindo Mare.
STINGY WITH DESIGNATION
So what is the franchise tag you ask? Each NFL team can franchise a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag allows the team to keep the player for a year without his salary counting against the teams’ salary cap. The tagged player must be offered a one-year contract no less than the amount of the average of the top five salaries at his position during the league year, or 120 percent of the player’s previous year’s salary, or whichever is greater.
2021 FRANCHISE PLAYERS
| Club | Player | Position |
| Carolina Panthers | Taylor Moton | OL |
| Chicago Bears | Allen Robinson | WR |
| Dallas Cowboys | Dak Prescott* | QB |
| Denver Broncos | Justin Simmons | S |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Cam Robinson | OL |
| New Orleans Saints | Marcus Williams | S |
| New York Giants | Leonard Williams | DT |
| New York Jets | Marcus Maye | S |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Chris Godwin | WR |
| Washington Football Team | Brandon Scherff | OL |
*Denotes Exclusive Franchise Player
A transition player is offered the greater of (i) the average of the top 10 prior year salaries at the player’s position, which average is calculated using the same methodology used for non-exclusive franchise players (the Cap Percentage Average); or (ii) 120% of his prior year salary.
If a club extends a required tender to a transition player, the player shall be permitted to negotiate a contract with any club subject to his prior club’s right of first refusal, except that no draft choice compensation shall be made with respect to such player if his prior club declines to exercise its right of first refusal.
The signing period for transition players begins at 4:00 p.m. (ET) on March 17 and ends on July 22. After July 22 and until 4:00p.m. (ET) on the Tuesday following the 10th week of the season, the prior club has exclusive negotiating rights.
This year, no player was designated as a transition player.
