Alshon Jeffery is not a lock to be franchise tagged or even retained by the Chicago Bears, according to an NFL rumor.
Think it’s a foregone conclusion that Alshon Jeffery will be franchise tagged by the Chicago Bears? Well apparently you can think again. According to a rumor posted by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, it’s not at all a certainty that the Bears will use the tag to keep Jeffery in the fold.
#Bears tidbit: Assumption has been they'll tag WR Alshon Jeffery. I'm told no decision has been made & there's a chance he hits the market
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 19, 2016
The franchise tag number for wide receivers is expected to be $14.5 million, so at least from a financial point-of-view, you can understand the Bears’ reluctance to use the tag on Jeffery.
The fact that Jeffery missed games due to injury in 2015 could also factor into the Bears’ decision whether to tag him.
If Jeffery hits the market it will cause many fanbases to begin drooling. When healthy, Jeffery is a genuine physical force at wide receiver. The Vikings have plenty of first-hand knowledge of how dominating Jeffery can be when he’s on his game.
Funny I should bring up the Vikings. It so happens that Minnesota could probably use a big, strong, physical wide receiver to help out Teddy Bridgewater. Mike Wallace is currently under contract but would be a candidate to be cut, clearing cap space so the Vikings could make a run at Jeffery or whomever.
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There is also speculation floating around out there that the Detroit Lions might like to bring on Jeffery as a natural replacement for the out-going Calvin Johnson.
What an entertaining bidding war that would be, if the Vikings, Bears and Lions all were after Alshon Jeffery. Maybe the Packers would like to jump in on that too? Oh wait, they’re too cheap.