Here are the Bears' players that have gotten franchise-tagged in the last 15 years
The franchise tag can be a great tool for GMs around the NFL in order to keep some of their star players. However, it can have some downsides as well. Let's take a look at some of the most notable players that received the franchise-tag in Chicago.
2007
Lance Briggs
If you remember, Briggs engaged in some very public and heated talks with the Bears during the era of GM Jerry Angelo. He wanted a contract extension and, for some reason, the Bears did not give him one immediately. So, the Bears franchise-tagged Briggs at a price of $7.2 million after the Super Bowl XLI loss. However, the year after, they agreed on a 6 years contract extension that made both sides happy.
2013
Henry Melton
He is a guy that Bears fans would like to forget. Let's just say that Melton is not the brightest spot in Chicago's history. After 3 fine seasons with the Bears, he wanted a contract extension. However, Melton didn't like the contract offers from the Bears and they placed a franchise tag on him for $8.45 million. He didn't want to sign the offers for a long-term deal and decided he would play under the tag, then suffered a torn ACL in the third game.
2016
Alshon Jeffery
Jeffery was still a very good player at the time. He and the Bears were not able to sign a long-term contract so, the Bears used the franchise tag. Jeffery had a fine season that year. However, both sides were not able to reach an agreement the following year again so he left for the Eagles.
2018
Kyle Fuller
He received the transition-free agent tag. It is a tool used by teams to retain unrestricted free agents. It guarantees the original club the right of first refusal to match any offer the player may make with another team. However, right after they did that, the Packers offer Fuller a four-year, $56 million contract. The Bears matched the offer and retained his rights. It was a great move because Fuller was a very solid player until 2021 in Chicago.
2021
Allen Robinson
This was the most recent use of the tag. Ryan Pace was not able to sign Robinson for a long-term deal. He used the franchise tag that was worth over $18 million. We all know the story, Robinson was bad all year and he complained a lot in the media. He and the coaching staff were not on the same page. He will, most likely, be on another team in 2022.
