Report: Franchise tag deadline could be moved from Tuesday

As of Monday morning, the NFL deadline to use the franchise tag on a player is set at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 9. If a team intends to use the franchise tag for the 2021 decision, they must announce their intentions by then.

But according to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, that deadline is in danger of being extended a bit. Per Rapoport, because the NFL has yet to decide on the salary cap figures for the 2021 season—and therefore the exact franchise tag numbers for each position—the franchise tag may be moved back some.

“If the official salary cap number doesn’t come today and soon, NFL will have to move back the deadline to franchise tag players from Tuesday,” Rapoport tweeted on Monday morning. “It’s a situation several GMs are bracing for.”

This is relevant to the Detroit Lions, as many expect the team to use the tag on wide receiver Kenny Golladay. A few weeks ago, Rapoport himself said he’d be surprised if the Lions didn’t go that route. However, general manager Brad Holmes wasn’t handing out any hints of his intentions during his virtual press conference last week.

“There’s also been no debate that Kenny has been at the forefront of our mind in terms of making sure that we make the best possible decision for not only the Lions but for Kenny,” Holmes said, later promising that a decision will be coming “shortly.”

Per Over The Cap, the franchise tag for a wide receiver in 2021 is estimated to be around $16.4 million. That would be a hefty price for the cap-strapped Lions to pay, but Golladay, when healthy, is a top-10 receiver with plenty of good football to be had in his future.