Tee Higgins and Saquon Barkley are among the franchise tag winners; Baker Mayfield and Josh Jacobs are major losers

Eight players were franchise-tagged before Tuesday's 4pm ET deadline, but the impact goes far beyond that number. While several notable players have been flagged, just as many have not and will get a chance to test the market when the NFL's legal tampering period begins on March 11.

The franchise tag is an interesting thing. It pays the player a lot of guaranteed money, but only for one year. A tag can often double a player's career earnings, but it can also deprive him of the opportunity to secure a long-term contract.

As you can imagine, there were many winners and losers following Tuesday's marking deadline. Here's a look at each winner and loser, as well as a quick look at each player tagged.

NFL franchise players

Justin Madubuike, D.T	Baltimore Ravens	$22,102,000
Brian Burns, LP	Carolina Panthers	$24,007,000
Jaylon Johnson, CB	Chicago Bears	$19,802,000
T. Higgins, WR	Cincinnati Bengals	$21,816,000
Michael Pittman, WR	Indianapolis Colts	$21,816,000
Josh Allen, LB	Jacksonville Jaguars	$24,007,000
Larios Snead, CB	Kansas City Chiefs	$19,802,000
Antoine Winfield Jr., S	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	$17,123,000

winner

RB Saquon Barkley

Rest assured, Barkley is shedding no tears for not being tagged. By not being tagged, Barkley has less than a week to agree to a long-term deal with the Giants before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Instead of returning to a 6-11 team, Barkley could try to find a better situation via free agency. Although the money may not be a lot, Barkley will at least get a chance to buy his own merchandise for the first time. One possible option could be the Ravens, who were unable to play last season power.

Loser

WR Calvin Ridley

Ridley is one of the few players who might have welcomed the franchise tag. After not playing in 2022, Ridley was a title candidate after leading the Jaguars in receiving yards in 2023.

Instead of making nearly $22 million under the tag this season, Ridley will instead enter free agency. Ridley will certainly find a new team, but it will be difficult to find a team that pays him the amount (in annual salary) that he would have earned under the tag.

winner

W. R. T. Higgins

Higgins would certainly have preferred a long-term deal. But by earning the tag, he doubled his career earnings and got another year to play alongside Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase. Higgins is also likely to increase his market value after being injured for much of 2023.

Higgins wants to say that in Cincinnati, so getting the hashtag gives him and the Bengals more time to work out a long-term agreement. The ever-increasing salary cap is another reason why Higgins will win.

Loser

QB Baker Mayfield

The tag would have given Mayfield a big salary and a sense of security in Tampa. But instead of getting $38.3 million guaranteed for 2024, Mayfield has less than a week to agree to a contract with the Buccaneers before free agency begins.

It's hard to fathom that Mayfield will make nearly $38 million next season. However, there is a good chance he could be the Buccaneers' starting quarterback again. However, not marking this puts everything into question. Conversely, the Buccaneers kept their options open by choosing not to tag Mayfield.

winner

DT Chris Jones

Had he been tagged, Jones would have played for less than $6 million Its expected market value In 2024. Jones will now sign a long-term deal with the Chiefs or do so elsewhere.

If he and the Chiefs don't reach a long-term deal, Jones will be one of them NFL Most sought after free agents. Jones earned that reputation after earning his second All-Pro nod last year while playing a key role in the Chiefs' successful title defense.

Loser

Antoine Winfield Jr

Winfield was scheduled to enter free agency as the highest-ranking safety available. Instead, he's currently in line to make more than a million less of its expected market value In 2024. The positive for Winfield is that he and the Buccaneers have until July 17 at 4pm ET to reach a long-term deal.

Winfield will certainly hope to capitalize on that after a 2023 season that saw him pad the stat sheet with 122 tackles, six sacks, three interceptions and a league-best six forced fumbles.

winner

S. Xavier McKinney

McKinney's situation is different from fellow safety Winfield, who was flagged by the Buccaneers. Winfield is an All-Pro and will likely receive his big payday later this season (if he and the Buccaneers can agree to a long-term deal) or next offseason.

For McKinney, this is a good time to cash in, especially with Winfield not currently on the open market. The former second-round pick should have a very strong market after four solid years with the Giants.

Loser

RB Josh Jacobs

Jacobs wanted to stay with the Raiders, who drafted him back in 2019. That possibility took a hit when Las Vegas chose not to tag him. What really hurts Jacobs is the fact that he wasn't able to test the market last year as the current league champion. Instead, Jacobs is set to enter free agency after averaging a career-high 3.5 yards per carry in 2023.

Jacobs is less than a week away from joining a roster of free agent linebackers that also includes Barkley, Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard and Austin Ekeler.

winner

CB Larios Snead

If he plays under the tag, Sneed will make about $3.5 million more than Its expected market value (Regarding annual salary). While he will have to wait for a long-term deal, Snead will make plenty of money for this season while getting a chance to boost his market value for 2024.

Loser

LB Brian Burns

Burns continues to wait on his long-term deal. He was vocal about wanting one last shot this offseason but was forced to play out the team's fifth-year option. If he plays under the mark, Burns would be the sixth-highest-paid player at the position, which is ridiculous given his production thus far for Carolina.

Burns The non-exclusive tag has been granted, so teams can negotiate with him once free agency begins. If he is given another offer, the Panthers could either match the offer or let Burns go while receiving two first-round picks.