Wednesday, October 28, 2026

NFL Teams Hand Out Nearly $100M in 1-Year Deals at Tag Deadline

Four NFL players are getting tagged this offseason, as the start of the 2026 league year draws near.

Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

Four NFL players are getting tagged this offseason, as the start of the 2026 league year draws near.

The Colts placed the rarely used transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones on Tuesday afternoon, just ahead of the 4 p.m. ET deadline for teams to decide on using their franchise or transition tags this year.

Jones, who started 13 games for Indianapolis in 2025 before tearing his Achilles tendon, played last season on a one-year, $14 million contract. The transition tag salary for quarterbacks in 2026 is $37.83 million. Jones can negotiate with other teams, but the Colts have the ability to match any offer he gets. 

Three other players have received the franchise tag, up from two last year:

  • Colts QB Daniel Jones: $37.83 million (transition tag)
  • Cowboys WR George Pickens: $27.3 million
  • Falcons TE Kyle Pitts Sr.: $16.3 million
  • Jets RB Breece Hall: $14.29 million

The franchise tag is more restrictive and expensive than the transition tag, as teams would have to give up two first-round draft picks to sign a player who was franchise tagged.

Jones is the first quarterback to receive the transition tag since the Falcons used it on Jeff George in 1996, and according to Spotrac, only 15 players in league history have been offered one. Jones’s NFL career earnings already stand at $122.83 million.

Cardinals Cutting Murray

The Cardinals informed quarterback Kyler Murray on Tuesday that they plan to release him before the new league year begins (March 11 at 4 p.m. ET).

Arizona already owes Murray $36.8 million in 2026, subject to offset language in his contract. That means another team could sign him for the league minimum for veterans of seven-plus years—$1.3 million—and the Cardinals would still have to pay the remaining $35.5 million.

“To everyone that supported me and showed kindness to my family and I during my time in AZ, from the bottom of my heart, thank you,” Murray, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, wrote on social media. “I wanted nothing more than to be the one to end the 77 year drought for this organization, I am sorry I failed us. I wish this community and my brothers nothing but the best.”

The Cardinals hired new head coach Mike LaFleur this offseason, after firing Jonathan Gannon following three seasons in Arizona.

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Sports World Opens Wallets for Feely, Tafoya, Teixeira Campaigns

All three won the Republican nomination for their races.

Carlie Irsay-Gordon Reshaping Colts As Fire Sale Begins

The Colts traded Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner on Tuesday.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/28/26 – Brewers Economy on Fire, Knicks and Rangers Split, Who Will Join Jay-Z at Halftime?

0:00

Featured Today

Football - NFL - Houston Texans v Jacksonville Jaguars - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - October 18, 2026 The necklace of a Jacksonville Jaguars fan outside the stadium before the match

Die-Hard Sports Fandom Has Reached the Afterlife

Will fans pay $6,000 to memorialize their team loyalty?
October 20, 2026

Why Europe Is Pumping Out NBA Superstars

The NBA and NCAA have an increasingly European flavor.
October 15, 2026

College Flag Football Is Outgrowing Its DIY Era

Women have been building the college game themselves at the club level.
Oct 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas arrives at the arena before the Penguins host the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena
October 12, 2026

NHL’s New Wave of GMs Is Built Different

“I am in the prediction business,” Devils GM Sunny Mehta tells FOS.
Action Images/Peter Cziborra
October 9, 2026

Is Leicester City’s $264 Million Price Tag Too Rich for Hungry Investors?

After falling from grace, how much is a former top club worth?

World Series TV Viewership Beats Expectations

No Dodgers in this year’s World Series? No problem for Fox Sports.
October 26, 2026

Brewers Fans Take Over Tampa for Game 3

Milwaukee fans are making their presence felt in Florida.
Oct 24, 2026; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars linebacker Isaiah Hung (16) celebrates after a play against the Boise State Broncos during the second half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Boise State Broncos won 31-10.
October 27, 2026

Sports Pushing Further Into AI Content Despite Fan Pushback

Sports leaders are increasingly adopting AI content tools regardless of fan sentiment.
Sponsored

How the New York Yankees Stay Game-Ready with Sage Intacct

See how Sage Intacct helps the Yankees streamline finances and plan for the future.
October 26, 2026

World Series Game 1 Gets Eye-Popping Local Ratings

Milwaukee generated the best local Game 1 audience in seven years.
Golf - LIV Golf - United Kingdom - JCB Golf and Country Club, Uttoxeter, Britain - July 24, 2026 LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil at the course ahead of the second round
October 26, 2026

LIV Execs Paid Millions During PIF’s Funding Exit, per Court Docs

LIV CEO Scott O’Neil received a $6.375 million “retention payment” on June 24.
October 26, 2026

WNBA Moves Finals Game to Midday to Play in NBA Arena

The series is tied at 2 entering Game 5 on Monday.
Aug 20, 2026; Westfield, Indiana, USA; Dustin Johnson tees off on hole four during the first round of the LIV Golf Indianapolis golf tournament at The Club at Chatham Hills.
October 26, 2026

LIV Golf Hangs On by a Thread As Clock Ticks on Future

A Sunday deadline for players to commit has passed.