Franchise Tag

A franchise tag is a designation a professional sports team uses to retain a key player for an additional year, even if their contract has expired. It allows the team to offer the player a one-year contract, usually at a salary that is among the highest for their position. This gives the team time to negotiate a long-term deal while ensuring they keep valuable talent. There are two types of franchise tags: exclusive (which prevents other teams from negotiating with the player) and non-exclusive (which allows other teams to make offers, but the original team can match any deal).