The deadline for NFL teams to utilize the franchise or transition tag in 2017 passed at 1 p.m. PT on Wednesday, March 1, and for the seventh straight offseason, the Seahawks have opted not to use the designation.
Looking League-wide, a total of seven players were tagged, including two NFC West players in Arizona Cardinals pass rusher Chandler Jones and Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who received the tag for the second year in a row.
Seattle has used either tag just once under head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider, placing the franchise designation on kicker Olindo Mare in 2010. The team's history of signing key players to new deals before they hit free agency has been a large reason for the tag's lack of use in Seattle, as the club has seen contributors such as Michael Bennett, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Doug Baldwin, K.J. Wright, Cliff Avril, Russell Wilson, and Bobby Wagner locked up to long-term extensions either in the offseason before the final year of their previous contracts, or late in the final year of their previous deals.
2017 FRANCHISE PLAYERS
Club
Player
Position
Arizona
Chandler Jones
LB
Carolina
Kawann Short
DT
Los Angeles Chargers
Melvin Ingram
LB
Los Angeles Rams
Trumaine Johnson
CB
New York Giants
Jason Pierre-Paul
DE
Pittsburgh
Le'Veon Bell*
RB
Washington
Kirk Cousins*
QB
*Denotes Exclusive Franchise Player
