2025 NFL franchise tag values by position: Listing salaries for QBs, WRs, RBs, and more

With the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine approaching, the NFL draft is currently the league's primary focus. However, the league's franchise tag window opens on Tuesday. Teams can use the franchise tag starting at 4:00 p.m. ET, and the window will close on March 4 at 4:00 p.m. ET.

Essentially, the franchise tag binds a player to a high-paying one-year contract. Its goal is to allow a team and player more time to negotiate a long-term contract before free agency starts. The player's position determines how much money he will earn in the year he is tagged.

In this post, we have included the 2025 NFL franchise tag's position-by-position prices.

NFL franchise tag values for 2025

The value of the franchise tag is calculated by averaging the top five salaries at a specific position over the previous five seasons after considering the salary cap amount for a given season.

The following are the transition tag and non-exclusive tag values for every position in 2025:

Quarterback:

Non-exclusive tag - $41,325,000

Transition tag - $35,267,000

Running back:

Non-exclusive tag - $11,951,000

Transition tag - $9,765,000

Wide receiver:

Non-exclusive tag - $25,693,000

Transition tag - $22,523,000

Tight end:

Non-exclusive tag - $14,241,000

Transition tag - $12,069,000

Offensive linemen:

Non-exclusive tag - $25,156,000

Transition tag - $22,745,000

Defensive end:

Non-exclusive tag - $24,727,000

Transition tag - $20,769,000

Linebacker:

Non-exclusive tag - $27,050,000

Transition tag - $22,612,000

Cornerback:

Non-exclusive tag - $20,357,000

Transition tag - $17,198,000

Safety:

Non-exclusive tag - $19,626,000

Transition tag - $15,598,000

Kicker and punter:

Non-exclusive tag - $6,459,000

Transition tag - $5,830,000

Can an NFL player receive a franchise tag two seasons in a row?

Up to three franchise tags could be issued to a player, successively or not. But each time, keeping the player down gets more expensive. A player's pay automatically increases by 20% after they are given a franchise tag for the second time.

The player's salary increases by 44% from the year before if they get tagged a third time.

Since they naturally want their future with the team to be determined and resolved, players do not always enjoy being franchise-tagged. Still, being tagged gives some players a sense of recognition because it's often seen as proof of their worth to the squad.

It's all about the money for the team. The franchise tag offers a systematic approach to spending control and reduces the team's vulnerability to the financial risks of long-term agreements.