Rules Regarding The Franchise Tag Per The Collective Bargaining Agreement

How Do Franchise Tags Factor Into All Of This? During a period that begins the 22nd day prior to the start of the new league year and ends on the 8th day prior to the new league year, each team can designate one of its players who would otherwise be a restricted or unrestricted free agent as a franchise player. There are two types of franchise tags: exclusive and non-exclusive. (For 2012, this period is Monday, February 20 through Monday, March 5.) Players who are given the exclusive tag may not negotiate with any other teams, while players who are given the non-exclusive tag may negotiate with other teams. If the non-exclusive-tagged player signs an offer sheet with a new team, the original team has five days from the time they are presented with the signed offer to decide whether to match the terms. If they elect not to match, the team signing the tagged player must compensate the original team with two first-round draft picks, one in the draft for the current league year and one in the following year's draft.

Teams who designate a franchise player of either variety have until 4:00 PM EST on July 15 of the league year (July 16 this year, due to the 15th falling on a Sunday) to sign the player to a multiyear contract or extension. After that date, the player may sign only a one-year contract at the required franchise-tag amount, and the contract may not be extended until after the team's final game of the season. Also worth noting, a franchise-tag designation may be withdrawn at any time prior to the player's signing the tendered offer, and the player would immediately become an unrestricted free agent, free to negotiate with all teams. Meaning if a team franchise-tags a player who would otherwise be an RFA if a qualifying offer were made, they cannot later withdraw the tag and make a qualifying offer to keep the player as an RFA. Additionally, once a tag is applied to a player, if the tag is rescinded or if the tagged player signs a multiyear contract before the start of the season, the tag cannot be reused in that given year.


--------------- my comments below ------------------------------

If you sign a tagged player to a multi-year deal, you cannot reuse the tag. If you sign them to a single year deal under either an exclusive or non-exclusive tag or the player signs with another team when non-exclusively tagged the tag can be reused.

Regardless, if we tagged any player, be it Brees, Nicks or Colston, and subsequently signed them to a multi-year deal the tag could not be used again.

No, it cannot and a player would likely refuse it. They want long term deals and job security, not a bunch of one year deals, look at Housmandzadeh after the Bengals placed the franchise tag on him. Afterwards, they couldn't be competitive with other teams that wanted him.

F*** em if they can't take a joke!

If the players hate it so much, why do they continue to allow it?

Didn't we (fans) endure a lockout/strike?

We don't use the franchise tag that often if I remember correctly.