History of Kansas City Chiefs franchise-tagged players
Outside linebacker Dee Ford is the 11th player the Kansas City Chiefs have used the NFL franchise tag on since 1993. He is the seventh defensive player and sixth edge rusher the franchise has tagged during that span.Jamie Squire/Getty Images
1993 — DE Neil Smith
Pre-tag 1992 stats: 77 tackles, 14.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries
Franchise-tag season stats: 55 tackles, 15 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries
Analysis: The Chiefs were with an impasse with a star player but managed to get him in the fold in time for the 1993 season opener. A motivated Neil Smith produced a NFL-high 15 sacks during his franchise-tag season and was selected first-team All-Pro for the only time in his career.
Smith made the Pro Bowl each of the next three seasons with the Chiefs beginning with the tagged season and averaged nearly 13 sacks per year during that span. His production fell off in 1996 before Smith wound up with the AFC West rival Denver Broncos for three seasons. He finished his career with the then-San Diego Chargers in 2000.
Grade: A
Smith was an elite defensive end in the prime of his career. The franchise tag allowed the Chiefs to retain him, which was the essence of its original design, after then-Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson won a game of chicken as the deadline approached.Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Pre-tag 1992 stats: 77 tackles, 14.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries
Franchise-tag season stats: 55 tackles, 15 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries
Analysis: The Chiefs were with an impasse with a star player but managed to get him in the fold in time for the 1993 season opener. A motivated Neil Smith produced a NFL-high 15 sacks during his franchise-tag season and was selected first-team All-Pro for the only time in his career.
Smith made the Pro Bowl each of the next three seasons with the Chiefs beginning with the tagged season and averaged nearly 13 sacks per year during that span. His production fell off in 1996 before Smith wound up with the AFC West rival Denver Broncos for three seasons. He finished his career with the then-San Diego Chargers in 2000.
Grade: A
Smith was an elite defensive end in the prime of his career. The franchise tag allowed the Chiefs to retain him, which was the essence of its original design, after then-Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson won a game of chicken as the deadline approached.Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
1998 — DE Dan Williams
Pre-tag 1997 stats: 47 tackles (35 solo), 10.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries
Franchise-tag season stats: DNP
Analysis: Former Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson lost a staring contest with Williams and his agent in 1998. Coming off a career year in 1997, Williams wanted a multiyear extension. Instead, he got tagged and was offered a one-year deal worth $2.88 million.
Williams’ camp was adamant it wouldn’t play without such a deal. Peterson insisted he sign the franchise tag tender before negotiating a possible long-term deal. The net result was the Williams missed the entire season.
Grade: F
Williams eventually signed a five-year deal worth $28 million in February 1999. He 64 tackles and 12.5 sacks in 26 games during the next two seasons before he was released amid an impasse over his rebab from offseason foot surgery.Brian Bahr/Getty Images
Pre-tag 1997 stats: 47 tackles (35 solo), 10.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries
Franchise-tag season stats: DNP
Analysis: Former Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson lost a staring contest with Williams and his agent in 1998. Coming off a career year in 1997, Williams wanted a multiyear extension. Instead, he got tagged and was offered a one-year deal worth $2.88 million.
Williams’ camp was adamant it wouldn’t play without such a deal. Peterson insisted he sign the franchise tag tender before negotiating a possible long-term deal. The net result was the Williams missed the entire season.
Grade: F
Williams eventually signed a five-year deal worth $28 million in February 1999. He 64 tackles and 12.5 sacks in 26 games during the next two seasons before he was released amid an impasse over his rebab from offseason foot surgery.Brian Bahr/Getty Images
2002 — TE Tony Gonzalez
Pre-tag 2001 stats: 73 receptions, 917 yards, 6 touchdowns
Franchise-tag season stats: 63 catches, 773 yards, 7 touchdowns
Analysis: Gonzalez and former GM Carl Peterson were butting heads over his continued pursuit of an NBA career. After signing a $3 million tender and reporting to camp, the two sides ironed out a seven-year deal worth $31 million right before the 2002 season started.
The contract, which included a $10 million signing bonus, was the richest in NFL history for a tight end at the time.
Grade: A
Gonzalez averaged 83 catches for 997 yards with nearly seven touchdowns during the life of the contract. He burnished his NFL Hall of Fame credentials with 582 receptions, 6,982 yards and 46 touchdowns during that span.Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Pre-tag 2001 stats: 73 receptions, 917 yards, 6 touchdowns
Franchise-tag season stats: 63 catches, 773 yards, 7 touchdowns
Analysis: Gonzalez and former GM Carl Peterson were butting heads over his continued pursuit of an NBA career. After signing a $3 million tender and reporting to camp, the two sides ironed out a seven-year deal worth $31 million right before the 2002 season started.
The contract, which included a $10 million signing bonus, was the richest in NFL history for a tight end at the time.
Grade: A
Gonzalez averaged 83 catches for 997 yards with nearly seven touchdowns during the life of the contract. He burnished his NFL Hall of Fame credentials with 582 receptions, 6,982 yards and 46 touchdowns during that span.Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
2012 — WR Dwayne Bowe
Pre-tag 2011 stats: 81 receptions, 1,159 yards, 5 touchdowns
Franchise-tag season stats: 59 receptions, 801 yards, 3 touchdowns
Analysis: It was probably the right decision to franchise Bowe, who was two years removed from leading the NFL with 15 touchdowns catches in 2010. The mistake came the next offseason after Bowe caught only 59 of 114 targets and saw his yards and touchdown numbers decline yet still received a long-term extension.
Bowe, who missed the final three games of 2012 with a rib injury, signed a five-year deal worth $56 million in March 2013. Eight months later, he was arrested for marijuana possession and speeding.
Grade: C+
The Chiefs were terrible, especially on offense, and kept Bowe to keep the fan base from revolting, but the signs were there that he was on a downhill slide. Again, the franchise-tag season wasn’t nearly as big of a mistake as the decision to sign Bowe long term the next offseason. He failed to reach 60 catches or 800 yards in either of the next two seasons and managed only five touchdowns in his final 30 games with the Chiefs.
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Pre-tag 2011 stats: 81 receptions, 1,159 yards, 5 touchdowns
Franchise-tag season stats: 59 receptions, 801 yards, 3 touchdowns
Analysis: It was probably the right decision to franchise Bowe, who was two years removed from leading the NFL with 15 touchdowns catches in 2010. The mistake came the next offseason after Bowe caught only 59 of 114 targets and saw his yards and touchdown numbers decline yet still received a long-term extension.
Bowe, who missed the final three games of 2012 with a rib injury, signed a five-year deal worth $56 million in March 2013. Eight months later, he was arrested for marijuana possession and speeding.
Grade: C+
The Chiefs were terrible, especially on offense, and kept Bowe to keep the fan base from revolting, but the signs were there that he was on a downhill slide. Again, the franchise-tag season wasn’t nearly as big of a mistake as the decision to sign Bowe long term the next offseason. He failed to reach 60 catches or 800 yards in either of the next two seasons and managed only five touchdowns in his final 30 games with the Chiefs.
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
2013 — OT Branden Albert
Pre-tag 2012 stats: Only incurred one holding penalty in 13 games
Franchise-tag season stats: Incurred 3 holding penalties and 5 false starts in 12 games
Analysis: Albert only played all 16 games in one of his nine NFL seasons. He was a two-time Pro Bowl tackle, including his franchise-tag season in 2013 with the Chiefs and again in 2015 with the Miami Dolphins.
The Chiefs wisely declined to use the franchise tag again in 2014 on Albert, who instead signed a five-year deal worth $47 million with the Miami Dolphins that offseason. Albert was out of the league within three years.
Grade: B+
Using the tag on Albert in 2013 took the pressure off 2013 No. 1 pick Eric Fisher, who the Chiefs selected from Central Michigan. It provided a veteran for Fisher to learn from as he adjusted to the NFL.Peter Aiken/Getty Images
Pre-tag 2012 stats: Only incurred one holding penalty in 13 games
Franchise-tag season stats: Incurred 3 holding penalties and 5 false starts in 12 games
Analysis: Albert only played all 16 games in one of his nine NFL seasons. He was a two-time Pro Bowl tackle, including his franchise-tag season in 2013 with the Chiefs and again in 2015 with the Miami Dolphins.
The Chiefs wisely declined to use the franchise tag again in 2014 on Albert, who instead signed a five-year deal worth $47 million with the Miami Dolphins that offseason. Albert was out of the league within three years.
Grade: B+
Using the tag on Albert in 2013 took the pressure off 2013 No. 1 pick Eric Fisher, who the Chiefs selected from Central Michigan. It provided a veteran for Fisher to learn from as he adjusted to the NFL.Peter Aiken/Getty Images
2015 — OLB Justin Houston
Pre-tag 2014 stats: 68 tackles (59 solo), 22 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 5 passes defended
Franchise-tag season stats: 30 tackles (25 solo), 7.5 sacks, 6 passes defended
Analysis: Houston had increased his sack total from 5.5 to 10 to 11 in his first three seasons in the NFL, but rather than reward that John Dorsey opted to wait one more season to be sure he was a budding star.
Houston nearly set the NFL record in sacks in 2014 with 22, which significantly increased his value and necessitated the franchise tag to buy time for long-term negotiations. The result from a six-year deal worth $101 million, but the price would have been much lower a year earlier.
After his record-setting 2015 season, Houston suffered a knee injury, which caused his durability and productivity to plummet.
Grade: B
It’s not that keeping Houston, who has totaled 18.5 sacks in 27 games during the last two seasons, was a terrible decision. But former general manager John Dorsey’s timing was awful — and needlessly so. That cost the Chiefs dearly, ultimately contributed to his ouster from Kansas City, and has handcuffed new GM Brett Veach.Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Pre-tag 2014 stats: 68 tackles (59 solo), 22 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 5 passes defended
Franchise-tag season stats: 30 tackles (25 solo), 7.5 sacks, 6 passes defended
Analysis: Houston had increased his sack total from 5.5 to 10 to 11 in his first three seasons in the NFL, but rather than reward that John Dorsey opted to wait one more season to be sure he was a budding star.
Houston nearly set the NFL record in sacks in 2014 with 22, which significantly increased his value and necessitated the franchise tag to buy time for long-term negotiations. The result from a six-year deal worth $101 million, but the price would have been much lower a year earlier.
After his record-setting 2015 season, Houston suffered a knee injury, which caused his durability and productivity to plummet.
Grade: B
It’s not that keeping Houston, who has totaled 18.5 sacks in 27 games during the last two seasons, was a terrible decision. But former general manager John Dorsey’s timing was awful — and needlessly so. That cost the Chiefs dearly, ultimately contributed to his ouster from Kansas City, and has handcuffed new GM Brett Veach.Jamie Squire/Getty Images
2019 — OLB Dee Ford
Pre-tag 2018 stats: 55 tackles (42 solo), 13 sacks, 7 forced fumbles
Analysis: It’s clear that general manager Brett Veach doesn’t view Ford as worthy of a big-money, long-term deal. Part of that calculation is the need to pay wide receiver Tyreek Hill, defensive tackle Chris Jones, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is line to become the NFL’s first $200 million man next offseason.
After combining for 17.5 sacks in his first four seasons, which saw him miss 10 games in 2017, Ford finally put everything together last season. He finished with career-highs in sacks (13) and tackles (55) along with an NFL-best 78 quarterback pressures and seven forced fumbles.
Despite that production, Ford’s injury history and lack of consistency probably make him more valuable for another team than the Chiefs, who are shopping him around for draft capital after slapping on the franchise tag Monday.
Grade: A
This was a no-brainer. Unlike Houston and Berry, who deserved long-term deals at least a year before being franchise tagged, Ford is a major injury risk on a deal of significant length and hasn’t been consistent enough to merit such a contract. If the Chiefs can’t trade Ford, having him play another season on the tag won’t be the worst thing. But a deal for draft picks is probably the Chiefs’ preference.David Eulitt/Getty Images
Pre-tag 2018 stats: 55 tackles (42 solo), 13 sacks, 7 forced fumbles
Analysis: It’s clear that general manager Brett Veach doesn’t view Ford as worthy of a big-money, long-term deal. Part of that calculation is the need to pay wide receiver Tyreek Hill, defensive tackle Chris Jones, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is line to become the NFL’s first $200 million man next offseason.
After combining for 17.5 sacks in his first four seasons, which saw him miss 10 games in 2017, Ford finally put everything together last season. He finished with career-highs in sacks (13) and tackles (55) along with an NFL-best 78 quarterback pressures and seven forced fumbles.
Despite that production, Ford’s injury history and lack of consistency probably make him more valuable for another team than the Chiefs, who are shopping him around for draft capital after slapping on the franchise tag Monday.
Grade: A
This was a no-brainer. Unlike Houston and Berry, who deserved long-term deals at least a year before being franchise tagged, Ford is a major injury risk on a deal of significant length and hasn’t been consistent enough to merit such a contract. If the Chiefs can’t trade Ford, having him play another season on the tag won’t be the worst thing. But a deal for draft picks is probably the Chiefs’ preference.David Eulitt/Getty Images