Cowboys franchise tag candidate for 2025 NFL offseason predicted

Who could the Dallas Cowboys use the franchise tag on during the 2025 NFL offseason?

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson is tackled by Dallas Cowboys safety Malik Hooker and defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

With 22 players set to become unrestricted free agents, the Dallas Cowboys face a challenging offseason ahead.

Standouts like Osa Odighizuwa, Chauncey Golston, Carl Lawson, Jourdan Lewis, and Rico Dowdle have all put together strong seasons and could be deserving of a raise.

One way teams ensure the team retains its key contributors is by using the franchise tag, a mechanism that allows a team to keep a player for one more year while buying time to negotiate a long-term deal.

MORE: Which Dallas Cowboys will be NFL free agents in the 2025 offseason?

Pro Football Focus (PFF) recently compiled a list of franchise tag candidates for all 32 NFL teams, but the Cowboys' situation was surprising—because the answer was "none."

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa reacts to sacking Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

PFF’s reasoning for this has little to do with their 2025 free agents but rather centers on the fact that the team is likely focused on an extension for Micah Parsons. Given this, the Cowboys are "unlikely to allocate significant resources to long-term extensions for their impending free agents."

MORE: Cowboys have shocking free agent spending rankings since Dak Prescott's arrival

However, PFF did mention that "an argument could be made for Osa Odighizuwa’s worthiness of the tag," as he has been a strong contributor.

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa celebrates after a sack against the New York Giants. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

The issue, though, is the cost. The franchise tag for Odighizuwa would come in at a hefty $24.745 million, a price that is simply out of the Cowboys’ range given the Cowboy's impending free agents in 2025

While the entire Cowboys organization and fanbase are certainly on board with bringing Odighizuwa back, doing so at nearly $25 million for one year is not financially feasible for the team. It’s clear that while Odighizuwa has proven his worth, the franchise tag would be a prohibitive move for Dallas.

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