Lamar Jackson and Saquon Barkley get franchise tagged. Tom Brady gets a kitten
Lamar Jackson received the franchise tag.
Daniel Jones does not, but teammate Saquon Barkley does.
Aaron Rodgers is said to be in talks with a new team.
And Tom Brady tweeted about his new kitten.
Tuesday was a busy day in the NFL, in part because teams had until 1 p.m. PST to use their franchise tags.
The Baltimore Ravens used theirs on Jackson after the two sides were unable to come to a long-term deal for the quarterback, the team announced shortly before the deadline.
“There have been many instances throughout the league and in Baltimore where a player was designated with the franchise tag and signed a long-term contract that same year,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement. “We will continue to negotiate with Lamar in good faith and we are hopeful that we can reach a long-term agreement that is fair to both Lamar and the Ravens. Our ultimate goal is to build a championship team with Lamar Jackson as the leader for the coming years.”
Multiple media outlets are reporting that the Ravens used the non-exclusive tag on Jackson, meaning he is allowed to negotiate a contract with other teams. If Jackson signs an offer sheet from another team, the Ravens can either keep him or let him go and receive two first-round draft picks in return.
Jackson will earn $32.416 million this year playing under the non-exclusive tag, as opposed to the expected $45 million he would have received from the Ravens if they used the exclusive tag.
As the NFL’s most valuable player in 2019 and a two-time Pro Bowl pick, Jackson is likely to spark interest from a number of teams in need of a franchise quarterback — if the hefty price tag, including the two first-round picks, doesn’t deter them. .
The New York Jets may be a possible destination for Jackson, although multiple media outlets are reporting that Rodgers would meet with Jets officials in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The longtime Green Bay Packers quarterback isn’t a free agent, but has been the subject of trade/retirement talk this offseason, so who knows what’s going on there.
Meanwhile, the New York Giants announced that they had put a non-exclusive label on Barkley. If the two-time Pro Bowl running back plays under it in 2023, Barkley will earn $10.091 million. Multiple media outlets are reporting that the Giants also agreed to a four-year contract extension with Jones after a breakaway year for the quarterback.
NFL teams had until 1 p.m. PST on Tuesday to use the franchise tag.
Brady had nothing to do with that. In an apparent response to persistent rumors that he could be coming out of retirement for a second time, the seven-time Super Bowl champion tweeted Tuesday morning: “Anyone who thinks I have time to come back to the NFL has never adopted a 2-month-old kitten for their daughter.”