NFL bumps back deadline to sign franchise tagged players to July 17
By Ian Cummings
Well, it’s not much. But courtesy of a recent move by the NFL, the Redskins have two more days to negotiate with Kirk Cousins.
Rather than the previous deadline, July 15, teams will now have until July 17 to sign players under the franchise tag. Although it isn’t a massive change, the shifting of the deadline is evident in a league where deadlines do deals. Here’s the reasoning for the adjustment, courtesy of NFL.com’s Kevin Patra.
"The NFL confirmed the deadline was pushed back from Saturday, July 15, until Monday, July 17.Per the collective bargaining agreement, if the normal July 15 deadline falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it is moved to the ensuing Monday.Once the deadline passes, teams cannot negotiate long-term contracts with franchise-tagged players."
The negotiations between the Redskins and Kirk Cousins are reportedly improving. But they’ve begun to pick up steam relatively late. There’s now less than a month to go before the deadline hits. Because the process is in the stage that it is, the shifting of the deadline even a couple days could have a big impact in terms of what can and can’t be done.
The Redskins have repeatedly voiced their confidence in an agreement being reached before the end date. And not only that, but Cousins has familiarized himself with the locals recently, suggesting that he too believes a deal can and will be reached.
Next: The Redskins' name might be here to stay
Stay tuned for any more updates on the situation, but don’t expect too many fireworks before July 17. The two sides have slowly been inching toward middle ground, but it remains to be seen how far either side is willing to go if the other one holds their position. It’s a team effort, but at the same time, it’s a game of tug of war. Stay up to date with Riggo’s Rag content to see how the situation progresses.