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The franchise tag gives NFL teams the opportunity to prevent one of their pending free agents from hitting the open market each season. While it's a beneficial tool for teams, most players dislike being franchise tagged because they prefer long-term stability over the one-year deal that comes with the tag.
When a star player is told they are going to be tagged by an organization rather than receive the contract they are looking for, it can cause friction between the player and the team. Sometimes, players will inform their team that they refuse to play on a tag, which can force the organization to make a move in some way.
The refusal of a tag can produce various results for a player, including getting a contract done or even forcing a trade, among other things. Here are three examples from NFL history when a player refused to play on a franchise tag.
NFL stars who refused to play on a franchise tag
#1 - Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers
Davante Adams was tagged by the Green Bay Packers during the 2022 NFL offseason after being unable to come to an agreement on a long-term contract. Adams was seeking a mega deal that apparently the Packers were unwilling to offer, so they chose to tag him instead.
Adams immediately informed the Packers that he would not play the 2022 season on the franchise tag. He threatened to sit out the year if he didn't receive an extension or wasn't traded to a new team. The Packers traded Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders shortly after his request, where he signed one of the biggest contracts by a non-quarterback in NFL history.
#2 - Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
Le'Veon Bell was looking for a record-breaking contract during the 2018 NFL offseason. When the Pittsburgh Steelers declined to give him what he was looking for, they placed the franchise tag on Bell. He was furious with their decision and told them he would sit out the entire 2018 season if they didn't give him a new contract. The Steelers still refused his request, and Bell wasn't bluffing, as he did, in fact, sit out the whole year.
#3 - Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys
Dez Bryant insisted that he would refuse to play for the Dallas Cowboys if they placed the franchise tag on him during the 2015 NFL offseason. Owner Jerry Jones must have believed that Bryant would follow through with his threats as the two sides agreed on a long-term contract extension just minutes before the deadline to do so. It was one of the largest contracts for any wide receiver ever at the time it was signed.
