Beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 22, the Arizona Cardinals and the rest of the NFL may begin to use their franchise tag on an impending unrestricted free agent on the roster currently.
The franchise tag guarantees a one-year salary that is the average of the top five players at his position and opens a window of a few months where the team maintains control of that player.
The Cardinals have used the franchise tag a few times. They used it on linebacker Chandler Jones before agreeing to a contract extension five years ago. They used it on linebacker Karlos Dansby twice.
Jones is 32 years old and wanted a contract extension last offseason but didn’t get it. He had 10.5 sacks in 2021 but was less consistent in his disruptive play.
At his age, signing him to a multi-year deal might not make sense for the Cardinals, but if they are going to try and get back to the playoffs, they need another pass rusher, whether that is him or someone else that will cost a lot.
