Despite signing Eric Berry to a long-term contract this week, it appears the Chiefs won’t use their available franchise tag on nose tackle Dontari Poe before Wednesday’s 3 p.m. deadline.
If the Chiefs don’t tag Poe, the possibility of which was first reported by NFL Network and confirmed by ESPN, he will become a free agent March 9 unless they are able to agree on a long-term contract. Poe, 26, has been a stalwart on the Chiefs’ defensive line since 2012.
Poe played under a $6.1 million cap number in 2016 — the fifth and final year of his rookie contract — but figured to earn a raise in 2017, either in free agency or under a one-year franchise tender of about $13 million.