FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Tuesday's deadline to assign the franchise tag came and went with the New England Patriots passing on the opportunity to use it on cornerback J.C. Jackson, whose 25 interceptions are tied with Lester Hayes and Everson Walls for the most by a player in his first four NFL seasons since 1970.
The tag would have been $17.3 million for 2022, and while the possibility was obviously considered to some degree, it never seemed like a realistic option.
This clears a path for Jackson to experience unrestricted free agency beginning Monday.