Chicago Bears’ history with the franchise tag
The NFL’s tag window opened Tuesday, where teams can place the franchise or transition tag on players with expiring contracts. The last day to place a tag on a player is March 7.
Teams that utilize a tag have until mid-July to work out a long-term deal with a player. If there is no deal agreed upon, the player will play out the 2023 season on that one-year tag.
While the Chicago Bears don’t have any candidates to earn the franchise tag this offseason, there are a number of players who could receive it, including some potential free agents they might covet like Chiefs offensive tackle Orlando Brown and Commanders defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne.
In the past, Chicago has used the franchise tag five times, which includes some well-deserving names and one surprise.
Here’s a look at the five players who the Bears used the franchise tag on dating back to 2007.
2021: WR Allen Robinson
AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio
The Bears last used the franchise tag two years ago on wide receiver Allen Robinson. Former GM Ryan Pace was unable to get a long-term deal done with Robinson in the months before, and he placed the tag on Robinson with the short-term goal of a third consecutive 1,000-yard season that wasn’t to be. Chicago wasn’t able to work out a deal for Robinson, and he played out the season on his $18 million tag.
2016: WR Alshon Jeffery
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Before Pace used the franchise tag on Robinson, he used it on another big-name wide receiver in Alshon Jeffery in 2016. Like Robinson, Jeffery was the top target in Chicago’s passing attack, and the hope was to keep him around. But it wasn’t to be. The two sides weren’t able to get a deal done, and Jeffery finished out the season on his $14.6 million tag.
2013: DT Henry Melton
Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
In case you forgot, there was a time when the Bears deemed defensive tackle Henry Melton valuable enough to use the franchise tag on with the hope of inking him to a long-term deal. Such was the Phil Emery era. The two sides weren’t able to work out a long-term deal, and Melton agreed to play under the $8.45 million tag. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL in Week 3.
2012: RB Matt Forte
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Emery’s first franchise tag made a lot more sense than Melton as running back Matt Forte was a vital part of the Bears offense. Forte was coming off his first Pro Bowl selection after falling just shy of 1,000 rushing yards before suffering a knee injury in early December 2011. The two sides were ultimately able to come to an agreement on a four-year contract extension worth $32 million in July 2012.
2007: LB Lance Briggs
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Fresh off a Super Bowl appearance in 2006, linebacker Lance Briggs was looking for a contract extension. Contract talks actually got quite heated between Briggs and GM Jerry Angelo, with Briggs threatening to hold out after Angelo slapped him with the franchise tag in 2007. Ultimately, the two sides were able to come to terms on a six-year, $36 million deal in March 2008. He did play out the 2007 season on the franchise tag.
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