Only three players receive the franchise tag

From 2015-24, the NFL saw five or more franchise tags placed on players each of those offseasons. A total of five tags were used the past two years.

The deadline to tag players in 2026 passed Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.

Only three teams used a franchise tag, with Jets running back Breece Hall, Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens and Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts tagged as non-exclusive franchise players. In 2025, Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and Chiefs offensive guard Trey Smith were the only players tagged.

The only other time two or fewer players were tagged was 1994, the first year of the franchise tag, when Pittsburgh tight end Eric Green and Vikings defensive tackle Henry Thomas received their team's franchise tag.

The Colts placed the transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones on Tuesday.

Teams will have until July 15 to work out a long-term deal with tagged players, or the players will play on the tag for 2026.