Will Kansas City Chiefs place franchise tag on Dee Ford?

The window has opened for NFL teams to apply the franchise tag, which means we might hear Dee Ford news some time soon from the Chiefs.

The questions surrounding Dee Ford and what the Kansas City Chiefs will do (or not do) regarding his roster spot will be answered soon. On Tuesday, the NFL’s period for applying a franchise tag on a player officially opened and will remain so through the final deadline of March 5.

Starting on Tuesday, the Chiefs are now on the clock to announce their intention to use the franchise tag or not on Ford (or another player). Ford is the only realistic option for the tag’s usage on this year’s roster given that he just turned in an All-Pro season heading into free agency for the first time. Will the Chiefs let a productive pass rusher leave for nothing? Will they pay the big bucks to keep him around?

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The tea leaves, as read by most people, show that the Chiefs aren’t likely to sign Ford to a long-term deal at this stage and both sides seem just fine with the tag. Ford has stated his longing to remain in Kansas City in a quote to Herbie Teope in January.

"“Of course, that’s home to me. I love the community and I’m just used to that environment, so I’ll be blessed to be able to stay. We’ll cross that bridge once when we get there.”"

Last season, Ford played under the fifth year contract option for over $8 million, but that number will nearly double on a franchise tag. If applied, Ford will make $15.78 million in 2019 alone.

Why would the Chiefs pay so much for a single season? If Ford can even come close to last year’s numbers, a year in which he had 13 sacks and ranked as the best edge defender in the league per Pro Football Focus, then even that number is less than an elite player should get. It’ also important to note that a one-year deal is preferred given Ford’s history of back pain and inconsistent production.

The bottom line is that both sides seem to recognize the mystery around Ford’s future and whether or not he is a one-year wonder or a late bloomer who finally turned the corner. The Chiefs could pay the price if Ford once again turns on the burners—maybe even to the point where they price themselves out any potential long-term deal. At the same time, they’ve signed on the bottom line on long-term defensive contracts before and none of them look pretty.

Either way, the Chiefs will make their intentions known soon.

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