The Steelers did not place a franchise or transition tag on any of their pending unrestricted free agents prior to Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline.
The team has now gone five straight years without using either tag. The last player to play for the Steelers under the franchise tag was Bud Dupree in 2020.
There were no true franchise tag candidates on the roster. The Steelers were never going to risk paying either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields the $40.24 million that would have come with the franchise tag. The most affordable figure would have been to tag Najee Harris, offering $13.64 million under the franchise tag or $11.06 million under the transition tag, but both of those numbers are vastly more expensive than it would have cost to just keep him under his fifth-year option at $6.78 million.
There are now two main contract talks to watch now prior to Monday at 12 p.m., when teams can begin negotiating with any free agent on the market. That starts with the quarterback situation. To repeat what Dejan Kovacevic and I have been reporting for weeks, the Steelers' preference is to re-sign Fields. I expect negotiations on that front to pick up this week.
The other contract situation to monitor prior to free agency is Jaylen Warren, who is a restricted free agent. The Steelers need to tender him a qualifying offer prior to the start of free agency in order to maintain the right to match any offer sheet from another team.
THE ASYLUM
Steelers do not use franchise tag
The Steelers did not place a franchise or transition tag on any of their pending unrestricted free agents prior to Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline.
The team has now gone five straight years without using either tag. The last player to play for the Steelers under the franchise tag was Bud Dupree in 2020.
There were no true franchise tag candidates on the roster. The Steelers were never going to risk paying either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields the $40.24 million that would have come with the franchise tag. The most affordable figure would have been to tag Najee Harris, offering $13.64 million under the franchise tag or $11.06 million under the transition tag, but both of those numbers are vastly more expensive than it would have cost to just keep him under his fifth-year option at $6.78 million.
There are now two main contract talks to watch now prior to Monday at 12 p.m., when teams can begin negotiating with any free agent on the market. That starts with the quarterback situation. To repeat what Dejan Kovacevic and I have been reporting for weeks, the Steelers' preference is to re-sign Fields. I expect negotiations on that front to pick up this week.
The other contract situation to monitor prior to free agency is Jaylen Warren, who is a restricted free agent. The Steelers need to tender him a qualifying offer prior to the start of free agency in order to maintain the right to match any offer sheet from another team.
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