NFL offseason: Franchise tag winners, losers for free agency - ESPN

Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline for NFL franchise and transition tags has come and gone. All those players who could have been but were not tagged — like Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and Colts receiver Alec Pierce — will either be re-signed to contract extensions over the next few days or become free agents. If it's the latter, they will be able to negotiate with other teams once the legal negotiating window opens on March 9.

Four tags were placed this year, and one was the transition tag. The Cowboys and Falcons secured receiver George Pickens and tight end Kyle Pitts Sr., respectively, for another season days before the deadline. Jets running back Breece Hall was franchise-tagged Tuesday, and Colts QB Daniel Jones was transition-tagged in the early afternoon before the deadline. All four players will continue negotiating long-term deals with their teams.

The tag is generally good for teams and bad for players. But who specifically came out on top of this year's tag deadline? Here are my winners and losers of the day.

See more on NFL free agency:
Tracking moves | Grades | Top 100

If you're ever wondering why team owners cling so desperately to the franchise tag during negotiations with the NFLPA, look no further than this situation. George Pickens was, without question, the best rising free agent of the 2026 offseason. Ludicrously talented, he has both the 6-foot-3 frame and versatility to be a high-volume WR1, and the explosive downfield ability to be a complementary WR2. His lone season in Dallas was his most productive — 93 catches, 1,429 yards, nine touchdowns — as he finally enjoyed quality quarterback play outside of Pittsburgh. Pickens turns 25 on Wednesday, and he would have easily cleared $30 million per