The official website of the Chicago Bears is reporting that the team has designated outside linebacker Lance Briggs their franchise player. Briggs is guaranteed to earn $7.2 million next season, which is the average of the highest paid outside linebackers in the NFL.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that Briggs is a lock to play in Chicago next season. He can still sign an offer sheet from another team, but the Bears have first rights to match.
Briggs has emerged as a dominant outside linebacker, so Chicago couldn’t allow him to escape without a fight. The biggest concern going forward is whether or not the Bears lock him up long term. Don’t forget that in general, players hate to be franchised because it offers no long-term financial security. NFL contracts are not guaranteed, so if a player were to get hurt the season following a franchise tag, hopes of commanding top dollar on their next contract are slim. Briggs could essentially hold out, which obviously doesn’t do him or the team any good.
