NFL Free Agency 2020: Dak Prescott, Ryan Tannehill Likely To Be Franchise Tagged By Cowboys, Titans

Some big names are unsigned for the 2020 NFL season with free agency set to officially start in just a few weeks. Many of those players won’t get a chance to hit the open market because of the franchise tag.

Tom Brady and Drew Brees can become unrestricted free agents on March 18 if they choose to do so. Dak Prescott and Ryan Tannehill don’t have that same freedom, at least not without the blessing of their current teams.

The Dallas Cowboys aren’t going to let Prescott reach free agency, even if the two sides can’t come to terms on a multi-year contract. Dallas is expected to use the franchise tag on their quarterback. The same goes for the Tennessee Titans and their starting signal caller.

BetOnline has set the odds of the Cowboys franchising Prescott at -500. The Titans have -450 odds to use their tag on Tannehill.

Prescott, 26, led the NFL’s No.1 offense in the 2019 season, completing 65.1% of his passes for 4,902 yards, 30 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 99.7 passer rating. Dallas missed the playoffs with an 8-8 record. The Cowboys have never had a losing record in four seasons with Prescott under center.

ESPN has reported that the franchise tag looks inevitable for Dallas’ quarterback.

The Cowboys continue to publicly state that they intend to sign Prescott to a long-term contract. Dallas and the two-time Pro Bowl player can still come to an agreement this spring if Prescott is tagged.

“We want to get this done,” Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said Thursday, via The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Things are fixing to heat up. We want to put every foot forward and try to grind this out and get a deal done.”

Five years Prescott’s senior, Tannehill probably isn’t in line to get a lucrative long-term contract. He never made the Pro Bowl in the first seven years of his career, but the veteran performed like an MVP candidate with Tennessee in 2019.

The Titans went 2-4 with Marcus Mariota under center. Tannehill took over as the starter, leading Tennessee to a 7-3 record and 31.4 points per game. The Titans made it to the AFC Championship Game, where they lost on the road to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

Tennessee upset the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens on the road in the playoffs.

Tannehill led the NFL with a 117.5 passer rating and 9.6 yards per attempt. He threw for 2,742 yards, 22 touchdowns, six interceptions and completed 70.3% of his passes.

Tannehill won the 2019 Comeback Player of the Year award. He never posted a passer rating north of 93.5 with the Miami Dolphins from 2012-2018.

The franchise tag for quarterbacks in 2020 is worth close to $27 million.