FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The Falcons placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and here's what that means.
General manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Dan Quinn have expressed their desire to ensure Jarrett remains in Atlanta for the foreseeable future.
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Jarrett was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins on March 13. By applying the franchise tag, Jarrett will not hit the market despite a long-term deal not being in place.
The franchise tag gives the gives the Falcons an extended period of time to continue their negotiations with Jarrett's representation.
The non-exclusive tag means a player can negotiate with other teams and the Falcons can match any offer. If the Falcons choose to not match any offer, the Falcons would get two first-round picks as compensation.
Teams are only allowed to franchise tag one player a year.
The Falcons have until July 15 to reach a long-term contract with Jarrett. If they are unable to come to an agreement by then, Jarrett will play under a one-year deal worth a reported $15,209,000.
The tag amount is decided based off the average of the salaries of the top five players at their respective position.
The last player the Falcons applied the franchise tag on was cornerback Brent Grimes in 2012.
Dimitroff said he is "confident" a long-term deal will be reached as Jarrett has become one of Atlanta's best players on defense.
"We're working diligently on [a new deal for] Grady Jarrett, that is our focus and that will continue to be our focus right now," Dimitroff said at the NFL Scouting Combine.
In four seasons with the Falcons, Jarrett has recorded 179 tackles, 40 quarterback hits, 31 tackles for loss and 14 sacks.
