For the sixth straight year, the Detroit Lions have chosen not to use their franchise tag. The last time they did was in 2018, when they tagged Ezekiel Ansah. He would play out that one year on the tag before the Lions let him go.
But across the NFL, teams still regularly use the tag. While that may seem inconsequential to the Lions, it isn’t. Detroit is expected to be somewhat active in free agency, and other teams’ use of the franchise tag directly impacts the pool of free agents available.
With the franchise deadline now passed at 4 p.