The franchise tag is a unique roster-building tool exclusive to the NFL. It's not something the LA Chargers have used very often, last utilizing the tag back in 2020 to keep tight end Hunter Henry around for one more season.
The franchise tag keeps an unrestricted free agent in town for one season with an expensive, fully guaranteed one-year contract. With a laundry list of free agents this offseason, the Chargers theoretically have plenty of options to use the tag on.
In reality, there's only one player who the Chargers could reasonably tag this offseason: Odafe Oweh. The 2021 first-round pick put together the best year of his career after being traded to the Chargers and is someone who fans want to see stick around in 2026 and beyond.
While Oweh would be great to keep around, there is one underlying problem with franchise tagging him: the cost. If Oweh is considered a defensive end, his projected cap hit would come in at $26.7 million; as a linebacker, that cap hit goes up to $27.5 million, per Spotrac.
Either way, it might be too much for the Chargers to stomach.
The Chargers definitely won't be using a franchise tag this offseason
Oweh is the most expensive free agent the Chargers have and even he isn't worth that big of a cap hit. Khalil Mack is the biggest name, but after getting a one-year, $18.8 million contract last year, chances are the Chargers won't be franchise tagging him for even more money.
Zion Johnson isn't a candidate after his fifth-year option was declined. Keenan Allen is far too old to warrant the cap hit that a franchise tag would bring. Oweh is the only candidate, and he isn't worth the price.
Pro Football Focus projects Oweh to land a four-year, $77 million contract ($19.25 million per year) with $40 million guaranteed. Not only does that AAV come in much lower than the franchise tag value, but his cap hit in 2026 would almost certainly be much lower than the franchise tag number.
Contracts are often backloaded when it comes to cap hits in the NFL to give teams financial flexibility in the future. Even with a $19.25 AAV, Oweh's cap hit in 2026 would probably come in around $12 million. At the very least, it would be half of what the franchise tag is worth.
And that's assuming he gets a deal of this magnitude. Oweh's production on the Chargers was excellent, but it was just over half a season. It wouldn't be surprising at all if the rest of the league balks at giving him an expensive multi-year deal as Oweh needs to prove it wasn't a flash in the pan.
That could open the door for the Chargers to sign either a cheaper multi-year deal or a one-year deal that is not as expensive as the franchise tag. Either way, it makes more business sense than franchise tagging him when they don't have to.
And even if Oweh walks, there are other free-agent edge rushers on the market, including Mack. With Tuli Tuipulotu emerging as the best player on the entire defense last season, the Chargers don't have to break the bank for Oweh. That includes the franchise tag.