NFL franchise tag 2023: 10 players most likely to be tagged

7. Top Franchise Tag Candidates – Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith

You could have gotten incredible value from betting that Smith would be in play for a franchise tag at the start of the season. There was no guarantee that Smith would even win the starting job for Seattle but he earned it by beating out Drew Lock in training camp.

What happened next was remarkable as Smith resurrected his career, completing a league-high 69.8 percent of his passes while throwing for a career high 4,280 yards with 30 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions. Smith helped the Seahawks move on from the Russell Wilson era with an unexpected trip to the postseason and earned NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors as well.

A reunion could certainly be in the cards as Smith has made it clear he wants to end his career in Seattle and the organization could use him as their bridge quarterback to a longer-term answer. While the smart money says that a contract gets done prior to the start of free agency, the franchise tag is still in Seattle’s back pocket as a contingency.

Using the tag is a must if the two sides can’t get a deal done by March 7 since Seattle doesn’t have a quarterback under contract for next season. The Seahawks would likely use the tag as a placeholder here to extend their window to complete a longer term deal with Smith.