NFL: What does tender mean in NFL?

With the new NFL calendar year starting in 12 days. It has fans bringing up a bunch of questions about the free agency period. One question in particular is, what does tender mean in NFL?

What does it mean to tender a player in the NFL?

When we look at the group of players that have the potential to hit the free agency market this off-season, we coulpotentiallyal see some players receive tenders. NFL franchises usually tender restricted free agents, or players who started as undrafted free agents. When a player receives a tender, that player can still negotiate with other teams.

If that player does receive an offer from another NFL franchise, then their original team has the opportunity to match whatever offer the player receives. When a player accepts another team's deal, then the original team receives a draft pick for the player that was tendered. A restricted free agent is a player with three or fewer accrued seasons with an NFL franchise.

Technicality update: Titans RB Derrick Henry’s new contract did not show up on today’s NFL wire, per sources. However, Henry already signed his franchise tender, so today’s new deal counts as a contract renegotiation and those don’t appear on NFL’s waiver wire like a new contract
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 15, 2020

Expand Tweet

If an NFL franchise tenders a player for a second time, it brings a different look to the outcome. The second tender is a one-year contract worth the greater of two options.

Option 1: $3.095 million

Option 2: 110% of the player's prior-year base salary

When an NFL team decides to give a team a second tender, then they still have the option to match any offer from another team. The difference between the first tender and second tender is that if a player decides to sign with the other team. An NFL franchise does not receive a draft pick for losing that player.

What are the projected Franchise and Transition tenders and RFA tenders for 2021?

According to overthecap.com there are projected tenders that are set in place for the franchise tag, transition tag, and the restricted free agents. Let's take a look at what those numbers are for the three different groups.

Source: The #Cowboys have resumed contract negotiations with Dak Prescott for the first time since using the exclusive franchise tag on him. A team source said the #NFL currently shows a $26.8M charge to the cap for Prescott even though he has not signed the franchise tender.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) March 25, 2020

Expand Tweet

Franchise and Transition Tag Tenders

Franchise Tag Positional Breakdown:

QB: $24.1 million
DE: $17.7 million
WR: $16.4 million
LB: $15.6 million
CB: $15.2 million
OL: $14.5 million
DT: $14.1 million
S: $11.1 million
RB: $11.1 million
TE: $10.1 million
ST: $4.7 million

Transitional Tag Positional Breakdown:

QB: $21.7 million
DE: $14.8 million
WR: $14.2 million
LB: $13.4 million
CB: $13.2 million
OL: $13.1 million
DT: $11.4 million
S: $9.5 million
RB: $8.9 million
TE: $8.5 million
ST: $4.3 million

Restricted Free Agent Tenders

-- First Round: $4.7 million

-- Second Round: $3.3 million

-- Right of Firt Refusal: $2.1 million

Edited by Shane Henderson