The window for NFL teams to officially begin placing franchise tags on players with expiring contracts opened on Tuesday. The two-week timeframe to apply the franchise tag runs through March 3. While several NFL teams are weighing the possibility, the Tennessee Titans won't be participating.
The Titans do not have a single player on an expiring contract worth applying the franchise tag to. The most notable Titans slated for unrestricted free agency are tight end Chig Okonkwo, guard Kevin Zeitler, and EDGE Arden Key. General manager Mike Borgonzi may not re-sign any of those players, let alone consider the possibility of using a franchise tag.
The value of the franchise tag for a tight end is approximately $16 million, according to Spotrac. That's significantly lower than their per-year market value for Okonkwo's contract in free agency ($8 million annually). The franchise tag for an offensive lineman is an astounding $27.7 million, about three-times the amount of Zeitler's 2025 Titans contract.
Titans' lack of franchise tag options exposes deeper-rooting problem
The Titans probably possess one player they'd consider using the franchise tag on, if said player was on an expiring contract. That is superstar defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who is signed through 2027. Simmons earns $23.5 million annually, but will be interested in signing an extension in the neighborhood of $30 million per year as early as this offseason.
Guard Peter Skoronski is another candidate to sign a long-term extension with the Titans. The NFL doesn't separate offensive tackles from interior lineman, so even Skoronski wouldn't be an option for the franchise tag. The value of the tag for an offensive lineman this offseason is the aforementioned $27.7 million, almost $4 million more than the highest-paid guard earns per year (Tyler Smith, $24 million).
The Titans don't have anyone worth applying the franchise tag to because their rebuilding roster hardly possesses any long-term solutions. That's the reality Borgonzi faces as he attempts to improve a roster that is coming off consecutive 3-14 seasons. On a positive note, Borgonzi's first offseason welcomed an NFL Draft class that may serve as foundational.
Needing to make decisions regarding the franchise tag is a first-world problem for good NFL teams. The Titans don't have that issue, and it's due to the roster remaining in the early stages of Borgonzi's multi-year rebuilding plan. Borgonzi hopes to build a roster that requires difficult decision making in future offseasons.