Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins and Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith were the only two NFL players to receive the franchise tag before Tuesday's deadline. ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted that Evan Kaplan reported that the total number of two players was the fewest tagged since 1994.

The Vikings didn't tag QB Sam Darnold, which means the 2018 top-three pick may have a chance to land a huge payday on the open market.

The number of franchise tags for NFL players this offseason is way down from last season as it hit a 21-year low.

The one-word post on X was tantamount to Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins admitting defeat ... He was set free, the Minnesota Vikings allowing their 2024 Pro Bowl quarterback to fully assess ...

Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. (Franchise tagged by the Bengals ... Which leaves McCarthy as the starter in Minnesota. It could have gotten ugly if the Vikings had kept Darnold under a contract that gave him the job for more than one season.

Sam Darnold is set to hit the open market. The Minnesota Vikings are not expected to use the franchise tag on the 27-year-old quarterback before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline, according to ESPN, clearing Darnold to become one of this offseason’s most coveted free agents.

T he franchise tag deadline has come and gone with only two players getting tagged in 2025. This is a significantly lower amount than last season, as nine players earned the franc

Dallas signed defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa before the franchise tag deadline Tuesday and Minnesota declined to give the tag to quarterback Sam Darnold, clearing the way for him to hit the open market next week.

Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins and Kansas City Chiefs guard ... of Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold as tagged players.

Tuesday was the deadline for NFL teams to apply the lucrative franchise tag to pending free agents. Only two received it, but the fallout is still extensive.