Who the Jaguars Might Franchise Tag This Offseason

Jacksonville Jaguars General Manager James Gladstone has a tough task ahead of him this offseason. He'll have to navigate a sticky financial situation that has the team projected to be around $10 million over the 2026 salary cap, while also working to improve a roster that went 13-4 and got ousted in the first round of the playoffs by the Buffalo Bills to get them over the hump.

The Jaguars also have a few key players from this past season hitting free agency this year. If Gladstone wants to keep some of them around, he might have to use the franchise tag. Three Jaguars free agents could be under consideration for the franchise tag.

Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL, Tennessee Titans, General Manager James Gladstone — Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone looks on from the sideline against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

What is a franchise tag?

There are two different kinds of franchise tags, exclusive and non-exclusive. Sports Illustrated's Karl Rasmussen broke down the difference:

"The non-exclusive franchise tag is the more commonly seen tag in the NFL. Under a non-exclusive franchise tag, players retain the right to negotiate a contract with another team. If an offer from another team is made, the player's original team has the right to refuse to match the offer. If the franchised player's team refuses to match the offer sheet, the team that offered him the new deal will be required to send two first-round picks in exchange for signing him."

"An exclusive franchise tag prevents a player from negotiating with other teams, but typically comes at a higher cost. The price of the exclusive franchise tag is calculated by taking the average of the top five cap numbers at that position at the end of free agency. If that value is less than 120% of the player's previous salary, the player will earn 120% of their previous salary instead. The value of the non-exclusive tag takes the average of the top five cap numbers over the last five years, or 120% of a player's previous salary."

Could James Gladstone franchise tag one of the Jaguars this offseason?

Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL, Tennessee Titans, Devin Lloyd, Cam Ward — Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (0) puts pressure on Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) during the first quarter in an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

1. Devin Lloyd

Devin Lloyd is the most marquee talent for the Jacksonville Jaguars hitting free agency. The team opted not to pick up his fifth-year option last offseason, and it'll cost them this March. Whether that means opening up the checkbook or simply having to watch him walk away remains to be seen.

Quite frankly, Jacksonville probably won't have the financial means to keep him around, even if they use the franchise tag. Unfortunately, the NFL hasn't updated its positional calculations yet for this part of the game, lumping EDGE rushers and true linebackers together for the contract configurations. As such, the non-exclusive franchise tag value is projected to be over $27 million for Lloyd. That's simply too rich for the Jaguars and their current salary cap situation.

Verdict: No

Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL, Tennessee Titans, Travis Etienne Jr. — Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) runs while throwing an arm up on Tennessee Titans cornerback Micah Robinson (21) during the fourth quarter in an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Titans 41-7 [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

2. Travis Etienne Jr.

Travis Etienne Jr. is coming off an incredible campaign for the Jaguars, one that might have priced him out of the team's budget in free agency. The franchise tag for him would cost them over $14 million for next season. Even if Jacksonville were able to free up that kind of cap space, it wouldn't be the wisest way to spend the money, especially with Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. flashing plenty of promise as rookies.

Verdict: No

Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL, Tennessee Titans, Montaric Brown — Nov 30, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver James Proche II (13) makes the catch in front of Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown (30) during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

3. Montaric Brown

Montaric Brown will be an interesting one for the Jaguars. He showed this season that he has the capacity to be one of the best outside cornerbacks in the league. However, Jacksonville has some decent depth behind him with Jarrian Jones, Jourdan Lewis, and Travis Hunter Jr. all under contract through at least next year.

Rather than lose him for nothing, James Gladstone could take the risk of franchise tagging him at an estimated cost of $20.85 million per OTC. It would require a lot of financial maneuvering, but he'd be worth the price. Then, even if he were to land a more handsome offer from another team, the Jaguars could add two first-round picks to decline matching the deal. Considering how valuable cornerbacks have become, it might be a worthwhile gamble. Plus, Jacksonville could always trade him for financial relief after the fact. It would just be a matter of clearing up the initial cap space to use the tag on him.

Verdict: Maybe

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