Franchise tag is not a phrase Carolina Panthers’ fans like to hear after what happened last offseason when the team used the tag on cornerback Josh Norman.
However, it is a tool NFL teams use in hopes of keeping their best players from reaching the open market. This gives them a little bit more time to negotiate long-term deals with those players.
This seems to be the case for defensive tackle Kawann Short, according to head coach Ron Rivera this week. During an interview on Thursday on ESPN, Rivera said that Carolina “probably will have to use the tag” on the defensive tackle, according to Adam Schefter.