Today is the deadline for the NFL's franchise-tagged players to sign long-term deals. None of the five players carrying the franchise tag have signed an extended contract. Here are those five players:
Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, New York Giants
Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos
Justin Houston, LB, Kansas City Chiefs
Stephen Gostkowski, K, New England Patriots
No offense to the kicking community but it's always a little surprising to see kickers among these typically game-changing football players. Gostkowski is also the only one of the five to have signed has franchise tender. He signed it the very same week that he received it way back in February. He can still sign a contract extension today but he's at least signed for the 2015 NFL season. The other four are in limbo. If they don't sign an extension today they have two options. 1) Sign the tender and receive a very nice one-year salary. 2) Not play football for a while.
Jason Pierre-Paul had a multi-year contract offer from the Giants. He no longer has that contract offer after his 4th of July firecracker accident. He also no longer has one of his fingers. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Pierre-Paul has no intention of signing his franchise until he's healthy enough to play. That prevents the Giants from placing him on the Non-Football Injury list and avoid paying him for a portion of the season. The feeling here is that player and team should sit down and get on the same page. The current separation is more about the health of the player. The money should be secondary right now but money is never secondary in the NFL.
The contract negotiations of the receivers Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas are further clouded by collusion allegations by the NFLPA. Who knows? Maybe that forces teams and players to come to contract extension agreements as it sounds like that outcome might end those allegations. The Cowboys and Broncos need these game-breaking players in camp. The Cowboys really need Bryant to be in camp after losing running back DeMarco Murray in free agency.
It's difficult to imagine the Chiefs and Justin Houston not coming to an agreement on a contract extension. They have to keep their best defensive player, and one of the best defensive players in the league, in Kansas City for a long time.
Today should bring some news on the immediate future of these players and their teams.
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