49ers can’t use franchise tag on Phil Dawson

The San Francisco 49ers won’t be able to use the franchise tag on kicker Phil Dawson. Or rather, they could, but it would cost them $16 million.

ProFootballTalk reports that, since Dawson has played under the franchise tag twice already – in 2011 and 2012 for the Cleveland Browns – the 49ers using it in 2014 would count as a third tag, entitling Dawson to receiving the quarterback tag money.

Though he hasn’t been tagged once by the 49ers, Dawson is an example of the 2012 grievance filed by Drew Brees that ended in a ruling that the tag usage carried over from team to team. While the ruling helped Brees getting a massive contract from the New Orleans Saints, it could make it harder for Dawson to stick around in San Francisco.