PFT PM Tuesday, February 18, 2025.

PFT Live off this week, PFT PM on this week.

You know the drill by now whenever PFT Live is dark.

Hashtag no days off.

Hashtag except when we take days off.

But there's still plenty happening in the NFL, even though this is one of the

the low tide weeks of the offseason schedule.

Because high tide returns next week with scouting combine

week after that the run-up the free agency and then boom all hell breaks loose we're going to

start with one of the items that is a precursor to the looming free agency frenzy the opening

of the two-week franchise tag window that's today today. And as we all know by now, and if you don't,

what are you doing here? You know by now. If you're an aficionado of the NFL to the extent that

you pay attention to this podcast, you know that every year, every team has one franchise tag available to apply to someone

who otherwise would be an unrestricted free agent.

After completing four years of NFL service, contract expires, heads to the open market,

blocked from the open market by the team that has the ability to say

no, even though you might have earned a generational payday from some other team that values you

more than we do, or more importantly, can only get you by giving you that significant contract.

We can squat on your rights for one more

year. And there was a time where they kind of sold this idea that it was some sort of an honor.

It's not an honor. It's not a privilege. It is a restriction. It is golden handcuffs that keep you

from getting a much bigger pile of gold elsewhere, with no handcuffs.

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