Answering whether or not the Eagles will use the franchise tag in 2024

The NFL franchise tag window officially opened on Tuesday, Feb. 20, which means some teams have big-time decisions to make. 

To sum up the franchise tag for those unfamiliar, it is a designation that allows teams to select their best player who is set to be an unrestricted free agent and guarantees that player another year under contract. 

Any pending unrestricted free agent who is not tagged by March 5, when the franchise tag window closes, will be able to sign with any team once the new league year and free agency opens on March 13.

For the franchise tag, each position has its own price tag which changes every year. This year the tag prices range from nearly $6 million for a special teams player to $36 million for a quarterback. 

Only six players received a franchise tag in 2023, including Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley. 

The Eagles have 18 unrestricted free agents this year. Center Jason Kelce, running back D'Andre Swift and defensive tackle Fletcher Cox are among them, but, they're not franchise tag worthy. 

In fact, the Eagles have not used the franchise tag since 2012 when they tagged wide receiver DeSean Jackson at $9.5 million. Before that, the Eagles placed a $16 million franchise tag on quarterback Michael Vick in 2011. 

While the Eagles have several other decisions to make regarding their pending free agents, they won't be using the franchise tag this year. 

Important 2024 NFL Free Agency Dates to Know

• March 5 @ 4:00pm ET: Deadline for clubs to designate Franchise or Transition Players.
• March 11 @ 12:00pm ET: Legal tampering period begins, allowing for players who will become unrestricted free agents to negotiate with other clubs.
• March 13 @ 4:00pm ET: 2024 League Year and Free Agency signing period begins.