The Franchise Tag Is The Devil: NFL Teams Must Stop Holding Their Stars Hostage

When the NFL and the Players Association established the franchise tag as part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement in 1993, no one involved understood the viciousness of the monster they created. The franchise tag was expected to be something that would temporarily keep a star player off the market while he and his team negotiated a new contract. It was supposed to keep great players in one uniform for their entire careers. It has now become the equivalent to a violent hostage situation. It's a team taking out a multi-million dollar insurance policy, selfishly keeping one player in handcuffs because they have the salary cap space to afford the financial hit. Being designated as a team's franchise player should be an honor. It should feel like a gift from your team as it's their way of telling you, "We love you, and we need you." Now it's become a violent relationship with an abusive spouse who refuses to let you leave the house. Since 2006, the number of players receiving the franchise ... (link)