2026 NFL franchise tag primer: What we're hearing on top candidates and early tag decisions

The Cowboys and Colts face pivotal franchise tag decisions ahead of free agency

The 2026 NFL season is already upon us, and the Seattle Seahawks still smell like cigars and champagne. That's the way the NFL calendar falls, as all teams have the opportunity to issue the franchise tag as early as Tuesday, Feb. 17, through the March 3 deadline.

What better time than now to look at potential tag candidates ahead of free agency? After surveying around the league, I found strong consensus on the three or four teams most likely to issue the franchise tag -- Indianapolis and Dallas at the top -- but most league sources don't expect this to be a robust tag season.

The 2026 salary cap has yet to be set, but we know it will eclipse $300 million for the first time ever. That, along with the tag salary projections, is enough to evaluate tag candidates less than a week before the window opens.

A few important notes: 1) We always talk about the franchise tag, but teams can also issue the less-expensive transition tag. We'll have more on that later. 2) Teams only issue the tag at the start of the window to make a point ahead of negotiations. If we get to Tuesday night and no one is tagged, that's OK. And 3) The tag is regularly used as a placeholder. If someone is tagged at the start of March, they could have an extension before free agency begins a week later. If they don't, the team has until July 15 to strike a deal, or the player will play the season on the tag.

Let's begin.