It is realistic to assume that the lowered salary cap for 2021 will greatly affect franchise tag utilization throughout the league. A large chunk of cash devoted to a single player for just the 2021 league year doesn’t make a ton of sense when teams could take advantage of the depressed free agent market this year and spread out a larger percentage of cash owed to later years when they’ll have more money to spend.
That said, some teams will simply be in a pickle of their own making. While even the best general manager couldn’t anticipate a global pandemic squeezing revenue, some teams find themselves in this position more often than not.
For 13 teams, whether because of their specific rosters or the financial ramifications mentioned above, there just don’t seem to be any great options. Those teams are: the 49ers, Browns, Chiefs, Colts, Dolphins, Eagles, Falcons, Patriots, Raiders, Steelers, Titans and Vikings. As for the rest of the league, here’s a team-by-team look at who get tagged when the franchise window opens Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
