Usage of the franchise player designation increased dramatically this year. More players were franchise tagged this offseason than over the last two years combined. In total, 14 players received franchise tags while 11 designations were used collectively in 2018 and 2019. Usage hasn't been this high since a record 21 teams placed the designation on players in 2012 when there was almost a 20 percent drop in the franchise tender amounts from 2011 as the method of calculating these figures changed. The clock is ticking with the players who were given franchise designations. The deadline for franchise players to sign long-term deals is 4 p.m. ET today (July 15). Chris Jones and the Chiefs , agreeing to a four-year extension Rojesterman Farris Jersey Tuesday. In what will likely be a surprise to many, the Titans and Derrick Henry are reportedly closing in on a multi-year extension too -- more details on that below.After the deadline pa ses, players with franchise tags are prohibited from signing multi-year contracts until the end of the regular season on Jan. 3, 2021. So far, Jones is the only one of this year's franchise players who has signed a long-term deal. The only times no tagged players signed extensions since the change with the calculations in 2012 has been 2013 and 2015.COVID-19 is certainly complicating matters this year. Teams are being more cautious generally in signing core players to new contracts with league revenues expected to drop because of the pandemic and have an impact on the 2021 salary cap due to games potentially being played in empty stadiums or in front of limited fans. Here's a look at the situations of the 14 players given franchise tags.The Cowboys don't have to worry about a Prescott training camp absence if a long term deal can't be worked out because he signed his $31.409 million franchise tag several weeks ago. The Cowboys have reportedly offered Prescott a contract averaging $35 million per year for five years with guarantees in $106 million range.A major sticking point in the negotiations is the length of contract. Prescott wants a four-year deal. The recent trend with high-end quarterback contracts has been a shorter term than what Dallas would prefer. There are seven pa sers with contracts averaging $30 million or more per year. quarterback is the only one whose deal contains more than four new contract years. He signed a five-year contract extension. The average length for these seven quarterback deals is 3.57 new years. Since all seven deals were extensions (had at least one year remaining on their existing deals when signed), the quarterbacks are under contract for an average of five total years.The longer the Cowboys wait to lock up Prescott, the more costly it's probably going to be. By next Bradley Chubb Jersey offseason, there could be two $40 million per year quarterbacks. An extension for 2018 NFL MVP and LIV MVP is a priority for the . The have had preliminary discu sions with 2017 12th overall pick , who is also under contract through the 2021 season, for a new deal. Watson is reportedly seeking a three-year extension. Barring a major regre sion with Prescott this season, the Cowboys would be forced to top their most recent offer by a considerable margin with one of both of these contracts in the market place. Dallas and Prescott have . UPDATE: According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Titans and Henry are closing in on a long-term extension just before Wednesday's deadline. on the report and what it means for both Henry and the Titans. general manager Jon Robinson is hoping to find common ground with Henry, who has already signed his $10.278 million franchise tender, on a long term deal. It wouldn't be surprising for Henry's camp to view the recording setting four Denver Broncos T Shirts -year extension signed with the averaging $16,015,053 per year right around April's draft as an indicator of the running back market after a stellar 2019 season.Henry led the NFL in rushing (1,540 yards) and tied for the league's most rushing touchdowns with 16 despite mi sing a game late in the season because of a hamstring injury. He earned his first Pro Bowl berth and was named to the Pro Football Writers of America's All- . Since the middle of the 2018 season, Henry has been the NFL's most productive ball carrier. He has league bests of 2,299 rushing yards and 26 rushing touchdowns with 5.4 yards per carry. Henry really made his mark in the playoffs during the Titans' run to the AFC Championship Game. He became the first player to ever have two games of at least 180 rushing yards in the same postseason. Henry also set an NFL record for the most rushing yards during a playoff run (not including the Super Bowl) with 446. His 148.7 rushing yards per game this postseason is the fourth-best mark ever in any single playoffs.A common denominator with the running backs who have commanded top dollar in recent years is their dual-threat capabilities. The bottom of the top Denver Broncos Hoodies Sweatshirts tier is the $13 million per year the gave in 2018.Henry may become the exception. He doesn't add much in the pa sing game. Henry is more of a traditional ball carrier from the previous era. Nonethele s, Henry is Tenne see's best offensive player. On Tuesday, it was reported that . Green wasn't thrilled the designated him as a franchise player for $18.171 million. Choosing to have Green play on the franchise tag may make the most sense for the Bengals given his injury history. Green has been one of the NFL's best wide receivers when healthy, which he hasn't been in recent years. He didn't play at all last season because of an ankle injury suffered in training camp that required surgery. Green, who turns 32 at the end of July, also mi sed six games in 2016 because of a hamstring tear and was limited to nine games in 2018 due to a toe injury also requiring surgery. He had career lows of 46 receptions and 694 receiving yards in 2018.Initial contract talks had reportedly gone well after the made Scherff the first offensive guard Ronald Darby Jersey to be given a franchise tag since the used one on in 2011. Retaining Scherff, who earned his third Pro Bowl berth in 2019, takes on additional importance after trading disgruntled left tackle to the 49ers. Scherff's franchise tag is $15.03 million, which is 120 percent of his $12.525 million 2019 fifth-year option salary. Ensuring that Scherff remains in Washington for many years will likely require a long-term contract averaging more than $16 million per year because a second franchise tag in 2021 at a NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement mandated 20 percent increase would be $18.036 million.Curiously, the gave up a 2020 third-round pick and a 2021 fifth-round pick for Williams as last season's trading deadline was approaching when there was a better shot at the first overall pick in 2020 NFL Draft than securing a playoff berth. Giants general manager Dave Gettleman doubled down on Williams with the franchise tag. Williams may not have been a hot commodity in free agency since he has yet to live