Tuesday marked the official deadline for all 32 NFL teams to use a tag on players whose contracts were set to expire ahead of the new league year on March 11.
Another one of those deadlines have come and gone, the Buffalo Bills decided to not use the tag option once again. The Bills have rarely used the franchise tag in the franchise’s history.
With limited salary cap space as the Bills still remain slightly over the $301.2 million cap for the 2026 season, it makes sense that the team did not use the option.
Before the 4 p.m. franchise tag deadline on Tuesday, four players across the NFL had the option slapped on them by their teams.
Regarding Buffalo and the franchise tag, the Bills have only used it five times in team history. In addition, the transition tag was used by the Bills on one other occasion (tight end Charles Clay).
Here is a rundown on the Bills’ franchise tag history:
OL John Fina (1996)
John Fina was the first player franchise tagged by the Bills in 1996. The two sides worked out a long-term extension and he played six more seasons in Buffalo.
WR Peerless Price (2003)
Peerless Price signed the $5M tag after the 2002 season but then departed for the Falcons via trade for a first-round pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. He eventually returned to the Bills after three years there.
CB Nate Clements (2006)
After playing on the $5.9M franchise tag in 2006, Nate Clements departed the following offseason. He signed an eight-year deal with the 49ers which made him the highest-paid defender in the NFL at that time ($80M).
S Jairus Byrd (2013)
A three-time Pro Bowler with the Bills, Jairus Byrd signed the $6.9M tag in 2013. He departed for the Saints prior to the 2014 season and injury issues followed. Byrd never reached Pro Bowl status again.
OT Cordy Glenn (2016)
The last time the Bills used the tag was on left tackle Cordy Glenn. He never played on the $13.7M tag, as the two sides reached a five-year extension.
Glenn was eventually traded to the Bengals in March 2018 by Beane for a first-round pick which helped the Bills move at that year’s draft to select quarterback Josh Allen. Glenn did not play in the league by 2020
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: No 2026 franchise tag for Bills: How many times has the team used it?
Reporting by Nick Wojton, USA TODAY / Bills Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
