Sources - Cowboys to franchise Osa Odighizuwa if no deal by deadline - ESPN

The Dallas Cowboys plan to use the franchise tag on defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa if a long-term deal is not reached by Tuesday's deadline, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Sunday.

The franchise tag for defensive tackles is projected at $25.1 million.

Teams have until Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET to place the tag on their pending free agents.

A third-round pick by the Cowboys in 2021 out of UCLA, Odighizuwa, 26, has not missed a game in his career (67 straight with 63 starts).

He had his best season in 2024 with a career-high 4.5 sacks, 47 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble and 1 pass deflection. He was credited with 54 pressures, second on the Cowboys to Micah Parsons.

At 6-foot-2, 280 pounds, Odighizuwa relies more on leverage and quickness than brute strength, but he can hold up well enough in the run game. He played a career-high 860 snaps (77.9%) in 2024.

He has 172 tackles and 13.5 sacks in his four NFL seasons.

ESPN's Todd Archer contributed to this report.