5 NFL players who suffered season-ending injuries while playing on franchise tag feat. Dak Prescott

NFL players are always at risk of suffering injuries that can directly affect their careers and potentially their future salaries. That risk becomes amplified for players entering a season while on the franchise tag because they have no guaranteed contract beyond the year ahead of them.

Most NFL players dislike playing on the franchise tag because of the extreme risk that comes along with it. Suffering an injury while tagged could potentially be catastrophic for that player's future.

Here are five NFL players who suffered a season-ending injury while playing on the tag.

#1 Bud Dupree

Bud Dupree found himself in a frustrating situation with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2020 offseason. He was tagged as a linebacker rather than a defensive end, which is basically the same thing positionally for an edge rusher. This, however, caused him to make $2 million less in salary.

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Dupree played on the tag, despite being unhappy with the situation for multiple reasons. In Week 12 of the 2020 NFL season, he suffered a season-ending torn ACL. He departed the Steelers and signed with the Tennessee Titans the following season.

#2 Dak Prescott

Dak Prescott was in a high-profile contract dispute with the Dallas Cowboys as he sought to become one of the highest-paid players of all time. While the two sides were unable to come to an agreement prior to the 2020 NFL season, the Cowboys placed the franchise tag on him.

Dak Prescott suffered a gruesome ankle injury in Week 5 and ended his season early. He again entered contract negotiations during the 2021 offseason and eventually earned the massive deal he was looking for. His $126 million in guaranteed money was the most for any player ever at the time he signed it.

#3 Anthony Spencer

After being a solid contributor for the Dallas Cowboys during his first two seasons in the league, Anthony Spencer earned a job as a starting outside linebacker ahead of the 2009 NFL season. He recording 17 total sacks over the next three seasons before his breakout year in 2012, when he recorded 11 sacks and was selected to the Pro Bowl.

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Spencer's contract expired following the best season of his career, but rather than being rewarded with a long-term contract extension, the Cowboys placed the franchise tag on him. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in the very first game of the 2013 NFL season and played just one more year before retiring.

#4 Henry Melton

Henry Melton was solid during his first three seasons with the Chicago Bears, recording 15.5 total sacks. This is an impressive number for an interior defensive lineman. After making the Pro Bowl in the 2012 NFL season, he was franchise tagged during the offseason.

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Melton suffered a concussion during a preseason game, which limited his playing time during the first two games of the 2013 regular season. Disaster struck in Week 3 when he suffered a season-ending knee injury. He was never quite the same. He played just two more seasons and recorded seven total sacks.

#5 Drew Brees

Drew Brees received the franchise tag from the San Diego Chargers prior to the 2005 NFL season. He is a bit of a different case than the rest because he appeared in every game that year before suffering a brutal shoulder injury in the final game of the season.

The injury likely prevented the Chargers from signing Drew Brees to a new contract, and his career looked as if it could be in trouble. The New Orleans Saints decided to take a chance on Brees, and the rest is history as he statistically became one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

Edited by Windy Goodloe