NFL franchise tag season kicks off with seven prime targets for 2026

NFL teams open the franchise-tag window (through March 3) with a July 15 deadline for long-term deals; the one-year tag (and a rarer transition tag) helps teams retain players, cap space, and hedge against free agency, sometimes as leverage for trades. Judy Battista’s primer highlights seven likely tag candidates in 2026, led by George Pickens ( Cowboys WR) and Daniel Jones (Colts QB), then Kenneth Walker III (Seahawks RB), Odafe Oweh (Chargers LB), Trey Hendrickson (Bengals DE), Kyle Pitts (Falcons TE), and Breece Hall (Jets RB), with the 2026 cap expected north of $300 million per team.