Casemiro has said he would like to stay at Manchester United until his contract expires in 2026, despite a challenging 2024-25 season which has seen the team struggle and the midfielder lose his place as a regular starter.

The Brazil international -- who joined United from Real Madrid in 2022 -- started in their 1-0 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday. Before that, he had been benched for 10 of United's previous 11 league games under coach Ruben Amorim, with his side languishing in 15th in the Premier League table.

"I have to keep doing what I'm doing, with a lot of respect, and good behaviour," Casemiro told Diario AS in an interview published on Monday.

"Of course, I'd like to play more. I don't know any player who doesn't want to play. And I want to help the club at this time. I face things with respect for my teammates and the staff, and above all, respect for United."

"I have a year and a half left on my contract, and I'd like to see it out here in Manchester. I'm comfortable here, and my family is too. They've adapted, we speak English. I'm very grateful to the fans and the club. I'm happy at the club. Happy on the bench? Of course not, that's something else."

Casemiro moved to Old Trafford in a 70 million ($73.3m) deal in August 2022, having won five Champions Leagues and three LaLiga titles in nine years at Real Madrid, forming part of a legendary midfield trio with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. However, he has faced frequent criticism for his performances at United, with some claiming he is now past his best.

"I'm young, and I've got a lot left to give," Casemiro told AS. "I'm about to turn 33. Nowadays that's like being 28 before -- with nutrition, physical preparation, all that extending a player's career if you look after yourself. That's why Cristiano [Ronaldo] is still scoring 50 goals a season, at 40 years old."

Casemiro urged former teammate Vinícius Júnior to "look at how important making history is" when considering leaving Madrid for Saudi Arabia, and said he has been impressed with Kylian Mbappé's form this season at the Santiago Bernabéu.

"Mbappé is an unstoppable player," he said. "I played against him in the Champions League in Paris [in 2022]. He did it all. We lost 1-0, to his goal ... Afterwards I spoke to the president [Florentino Perez] and said 'Sign him. He is impossible to stop.'"

Real Madrid executives met with the head of Spain's refereeing body on Monday, after the club filed a formal complaint over the referee's decisions in their 1-0 LaLiga defeat at Espanyol earlier this month.

Madrid were furious at referee Alejando Muñiz Ruiz for opting not to send off Espanyol defender Carlos Romero for a challenge on Kylian Mbappé -- with Romero later scoring the game's only goal -- and sent an open letter to the Spanish football federation [RFEF] on Feb. 4, requesting access to audio of conversations between officials surrounding the incident.

The complaint accused officials of "manipulation and adulteration" of the competition, saying Spain's refereeing system was "completely discredited," in allegations which drew an angry response from the federation, LaLiga and other clubs.

On Monday, Madrid's director general José Ángel Sánchez and secretary of the club's board, José Luis del Valle, attended RFEF headquarters in Las Rozas, outside Madrid, to listen to the VAR audio, and for discussions with the head of Spain's technical committee of referees [CTA], Luis Medina Cantalejo.

"It's normal that there are questions that have to be asked about an incident," Medina Cantalejo told journalists. "We talked about various issues, which are internal -- not internal because they're secret, but because they're private matters -- which relate to the CTA, and a club which comes here to talk to us, and we talk to them.

"Obviously [the meeting] took a while, because within an atmosphere of friendliness and good manners, that's what had to happen. If there'd have been a confrontation, which isn't what anybody expected or wanted, the meeting would have been over in five minutes. It was so long because we spoke with absolute transparency and truth."

Madrid have frequently complained about refereeing decisions in LaLiga, with the club's TV channel, Real Madrid TV, regularly highlighting errors from officials.

After the Espanyol game, Madrid were also unhappy with refereeing decisions in their 1-1 derby draw with Atlético Madrid on Feb. 8, and their 1-1 draw at Osasuna on Saturday.

"In our last three games, things have happened that everybody has seen. But I don't want to say anything more about that, because I want to be sat on the bench for the next match," coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "I think there's a problem [with referees]. In the last three games something has happened that shouldn't have happened."

Sources told ESPN that following the meeting, Real Madrid were still unable to understand the decision not to send off Romero. The club have demanded changes, sources said, but believe their complaint has left them exposed, given refereeing decisions in subsequent games.

By contrast, the federation felt the talks had been positive, sources said, and Madrid had been treated in the same way as any other club.

Arsenal have been fined 65,000 ($82,000) after their players were deemed to have behaved in an "improper way" following Myles Lewis-Skelly's red card against Wolverhampton Wanderers last month.

Lewis-Skelly was sent off in the 43rd minute -- much to the annoyance of manager Mikel Arteta -- and the Arsenal players surrounded referee Michael Oliver afterwards.

Arsenal went on to win the game 1-0 thanks to a Riccardo Calafiori goal, while Lewis-Skelly's red card was rescinded three days later.

"An independent Regulatory Commission has imposed a 65,000 fine on Arsenal in relation to the Premier League match against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday 25 January," read a statement from the English Football Association.

"It was alleged that Arsenal failed to ensure their players did not behave in an improper way around the 43rd minute, and the club subsequently admitted to this charge."

The regulatory commission imposed the fine after a hearing, and published written reasons.

The statement included a letter from Arsenal, who stressed that the "players were civil and not aggressive," "were not gesticulating or accusatory" and "they did not behave in a way which was offensive, violent, threatening, abusive, indecent, insulting or provocative."

But the FA submitted a reply which said "there were, at times, nine AFC players in very close proximity to the referee." and that the red card "being overturned on appeal does not justify the reaction and affords no mitigation."

The response also said that Arsenal competing at the top of the league afforded no mitigation.

Arsenal have the most red cards in the Premier League this season, with four. Arteta's side are seven points off league leaders Liverpool.

Inter Miami's first-leg match of the Concacaf Champions Cup against Sporting Kansas City will now be played on Feb. 19, after the sporting organization decided to postpone the event by 24 hours due to the adverse weather conditions in Kansas City.

According to multiple weather reports, a winter snowstorm is expected to bring between four to seven inches of snow across the city.

"The decision to reschedule the match has been made to prioritize player and fan safety, and in close coordination with the two participating clubs and the local authorities," Concacaf said in a statement.

New Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said in the pre-match news conference that the two teams remained in communication over the possibility to move the match to a different date, as both agreed on the difficulty of playing in harsh conditions.

"It's not just a matter of the game, if the snow falls like they say is going to fall, we believe that the city is going to completely collapse, so people won't be able to go to the field, the accesses may be closed. Many times you only think about the game itself and not everything that surrounds it," he said.

Before Concacaf confirmed the postponement of the match, Mascherano clarified that Lionel Messi would be participating in the confrontation against Sporting KC regardless of the conditions. Inter Miami's game plan will not vary depending on the weather.

"Messi's availability is 100% and I can guarantee that Leo will play," he said.

"The reality is that the lineup and the plan are not going to change much, that is, the reality is that we will try to be protagonists and try to follow the same line that we have shown throughout the preseason. Clearly the weather factor, especially if there is snow, can harm or condition the facts of our game, but obviously we are going with the hope of being able to achieve a good result that will put us on the path to the playoffs."

Inter Miami will now officially kick off the 2025 campaign on Wednesday night against Sporting Kansas City at 8 p.m. ET.

Major League Soccer on Monday clarified that Inter Miami's season opener against New York City FC, currently set for Saturday at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, will go on as scheduled.

Auburn's win at Alabama confirmed the Tigers would keep the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 men's college basketball poll for a sixth consecutive week.

The Tigers (23-2) received 59 of 60 first-place votes in Monday's poll, reclaiming nearly all the support lost when they fell at home to Florida on Feb. 8. Auburn had been the unanimous No. 1 for three straight weeks before that loss but remained at the top this past week despite seeing nearly half of those first-place votes go primarily to Alabama, with a few to Florida and Tennessee.

But the Tigers won Saturday in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 road matchup against the rival Crimson Tide, hours after the committee that will choose the 68-team field for the NCAA tournament put Auburn as its No. 1 overall seed in its preliminary rankings.

The two teams to beat the Tigers sit right behind them. Florida and Duke were tied for third last week, and the Gators inched past the Blue Devils to break that tie and take the No. 2 spot while claiming the remaining first-place vote.

Alabama fell to No. 4, followed by Houston, Tennessee, Texas A&M -- with its highest ranking since December 2017 -- Iowa State, Texas Tech and St. John's to round out the top 10.

Of that group, the Red Raiders represented the only change from this past week's set of teams, climbing three spots to replace Purdue for their first top-10 appearance in three years. Grant McCasland's squad, which has lost just twice since the start of 2025, was unranked until cracking the poll at No. 22 on Jan. 27.

Rising

Michigan had the week's biggest jump among ranked teams, climbing eight spots to No. 12 after beating Purdue this past week and pushing its win streak to six games.

No. 15 Missouri jumped six spots, while No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 18 Clemson and No. 20 Maryland each rose five spots.

In all, 12 teams moved up from their position this past week.

Sliding

Memphis took the biggest tumble of the week, falling eight spots to No. 22 after its overtime loss at Wichita State ended an eight-game winning streak.

No. 13 Purdue, No. 19 Arizona and No. 23 Kansas -- the preseason No. 1-ranked team -- all fell six spots, while No. 24 Mississippi tumbled five.

Ten teams fell from this past week's poll.

Welcome back

No. 25 Louisville was the week's lone new addition, returning to the poll for the second time after a two-week stint in January. First-year coach Pat Kelsey has guided the program to its first 20-win season since 2019-20, with the Cardinals having lost just once since mid-December.

Farewell (for now)

Creighton (No. 24) fell out of the rankings for the second time this season. The Bluejays were ranked for the first four weeks, then returned this past week for what turned out to be a one-week stay.

Conference watch

The Southeastern Conference had a national-best nine teams, including three of the top four and five of the top 10. The Big 12 and Big Ten each had five teams, though the Big 12 had three in the top 10 while the highest-ranked Big Ten team checked in at 11th.

The Atlantic Coast Conference had three, followed by the Big East with two and the American Athletic Conference with one.

It's not possible to fully compensate Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark for what she has meant to the WNBA, her agent, Erin Kane, told ESPN.

"Will Caitlin Clark ever be paid by the WNBA what she's really worth to that league? I don't think that's possible," said Kane, who also represents WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier, Arike Ogunbowale and a host of other prominent athletes for Excel Sports Management.

"She's part of a larger player body. They all need to be paid more. She should be recognized for what she has done and what she's brought to the league from an economic standpoint. It's as simple as that."

Clark enters her second season with the Fever after breaking the league's assists record as a rookie. She and the rest of a star-studded rookie class helped drive the WNBA's most-watched regular season in 24 years and its highest attendance in more than 20 years.

An economist at Indiana University Columbus interviewed by the Indianapolis Star recently calculated that Clark was responsible for $36 million in economic impact to the city of Indianapolis and almost 27% of the league's economic activity for the 2024 season, including attendance, merchandise sales and television.

Clark's salary is expected to be just over $78,000 for the 2025 season.

WNBA salaries are collectively bargained and range from roughly $64,154 to $241,984 for a player on a supermaximum contract. The Women's National Basketball Players Association opted out of its current CBA last October -- with the prospect of a work stoppage if a new deal isn't reached by the end of the 2025 season. The union said at the time that players are seeking a "business model that reflects their true value, encompassing higher salaries," among other benefits.

"The most important thing always has been getting WNBA players paid for what they do on the court," Kane said. "I'm very, very hopeful for this CBA negotiation that it will be progressive and move the line forward a lot."

Upstart women's league Unrivaled, which wraps up its first season in mid-March, currently pays its players an average salary of more than $220,000, in addition to an equity stake in the league. Kane says she thinks there will be more equity for women athletes in the future "in the leagues that they're continuing to participate in, and play in, and build."

The WNBA last year announced an 11-year media rights deal valued at about $2.2 billion -- or $200 million per year, which is significantly higher than the $60 million the league currently gets.

WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson said last July that the league is being undervalued in the deal, which was negotiated by the NBA, which owns about 60% of the WNBA.

"I think we're ready for a spin-off [from the NBA]," Kane told ESPN. "I just think that the NBA is incentivized to make decisions that are good for the NBA, and those are not always aligned with what's good for the WNBA. And so, for the sake of the league that I work in, I want women and women's basketball to be able to make clean, clear choices that are in their own best interest."

The two-week NFL franchise tag window opens Tuesday and runs until 4 p.m. ET on March 4. During that time frame, each team is allowed to tag one player who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. Doing so would keep the player with the franchise for the 2025 season.

Franchise tag figures are based on the top five annual salaries at each position, and the price goes up each time a player gets tagged. Teams must determine whether it's in their best interest to pay the franchise tag price, extend the player or possibly tag him and continue negotiating a long-term deal.

Last year, nine players were tagged, including two who then were traded. The Carolina Panthers sent pass rusher Brian Burns to the New York Giants just a week after tagging him, and the Kansas City Chiefs sent cornerback L'Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans before March was out.

Here is a look at each NFL team and which players are franchise tag candidates:

Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

AFC EAST

Buffalo Bills

Since the Bills have regularly signed players to extensions before they enter free agency, they haven't had to use the franchise tag. The Bills haven't used the franchise tag in the past seven offseasons under general manager Brandon Beane. While there are some big decisions for the Bills in the months ahead when it comes to navigating the cap and the draft, whether to use the tag isn't one of them. -- Alaina Getzenberg

Miami Dolphins

The only player who could be even remotely considered is safety Jevon Holland -- but paying nearly $20 million after he failed to record an interception in 2024 seems unreasonable. This isn't to say Holland isn't a good player; the Dolphins should either figure out a long-term agreement or allow him to test free agency. Miami didn't use the tag on any of its premier free agents last offseason, and it is unlikely it will break that pattern this offseason. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

New England Patriots

This isn't even a slight consideration for the Patriots, whose free agent class is among the lightest in the NFL -- headlined by cornerback Jonathan Jones, defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr. and quarterback Jacoby Brissett. All have been productive in the NFL and could help the team win, but they aren't at the caliber in which a tag would be part of any negotiation to retain them. -- Mike Reiss

New York Jets

Seven starters are poised to become unrestricted free agents, none of whom is considered tag-worthy. The Jets have a new regime, and they're looking to make changes, not retain older players from the previous administration. Cornerback D.J. Reed, 28, figures to attract significant interest on the open market, as he ranked 14th out of 77 corners in EPA/target (minimum: 250 coverage snaps), per NFL Next Gen Stats. The tag amount for a corner is expected to exceed $20 million, too rich for the Jets. Reed is expected to test the market. -- Rich Cimini

AFC NORTH

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens have used the franchise tag for the past two seasons, placing it on quarterback Lamar Jackson in 2023 and defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike last year. But Baltimore doesn't have a candidate for the tag this offseason, and it doesn't have the salary cap room even if there were one. The Ravens' top free agent is offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, and the tag for offensive linemen is over $25 million. Baltimore is projected to rank among the bottom 10 teams in terms of cap space. -- Jamison Hensley

Cincinnati Bengals

Could wide receiver Tee Higgins be tagged again? After playing on the tag in 2024, he is eyeing a long-term deal. Quarterback Joe Burrow has been adamant about not letting great players such as Higgins leave the building. Tagging Higgins for a second straight year would give the Bengals that opportunity, along with allowing extra time to negotiate a new deal. It could also be a chip to trade to another team. Higgins has battled injuries in recent years, but the offense has thrived when he has lined up alongside Ja'Marr Chase. -- Ben Baby

Cleveland Browns

The most notable of the Browns' pending free agents, who include running back Nick Chubb, wide receiver Elijah Moore and left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., could be brought back on inexpensive deals. And with Cleveland already projected to be about $60 million over the 2025 cap, the team isn't positioned to take on a massive one-year cap hit via the franchise tag. -- Daniel Oyefusi

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have a handful of significant free agents, but using the franchise tag on one would be cost prohibitive. The team declined Najee Harris' fifth-year option a year ago, so it's unlikely they'd be willing to spend big on him with a franchise tag. And neither Russell Wilson nor Justin Fields is worth the steep price that comes with using a franchise tag on a quarterback. The Steelers could, though, explore using a transition tag on Fields or Wilson that would give them the ability to match another team's offer. -- Brooke Pryor

AFC SOUTH

Houston Texans

The only Texans impact starter hitting free agency is wideout Stefon Diggs, but he's coming off a torn ACL and will be 32 in November. The franchise tag for wideouts will be almost $26 million, which is a higher yearly salary than what Texans No. 1 receiver Nico Collins makes at $24,250,000. The Texans also have limited cap space but don't want to dump that much into an aging player. -- DJ Bien-Aime

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts did the heavy lifting on their in-house free agents last offseason, with Indianapolis re-signing wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., cornerback Kenny Moore II, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and linebacker Zaire Franklin. This year's class won't require nearly the same kind of investment. Their most intriguing free agent is defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, who led the team with 33 pressures and has a combined 16 sacks in the past three seasons. But it's highly unlikely a team that's already heavily invested in its defensive line would commit more than $20 million to Odeyingbo for 2025. -- Stephen Holder

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars took care of their big-money players last offseason when they signed quarterback Trevor Lawrence, defensive end Josh Hines-Allen and cornerback Tyson Campbell to contract extensions. There are only two starters -- right guard Brandon Scherff and safety Andre Cisco -- whose contracts expire in March, and neither is worthy of the franchise tag. Scherff is 33 and isn't the same level of player he was earlier in his career. Cisco had issues with blown coverages for a defense that gave up 23 pass plays of 30 or more yards -- just three shy of league leader New Orleans. -- Michael DiRocco

Tennessee Titans

The Titans don't have any franchise-altering players in this year's free agent class. Receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine will draw some interest after finishing with eight touchdown receptions last season. Tennessee would be wise to bring him back. Other free agents the Titans should consider bringing back on lower-cost deals include right guard Dillon Radunz and defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day. But none of them is the caliber of player that would warrant franchise tag consideration. -- Turron Davenport

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos

The list of starters from 2024 who are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents in March includes defensive tackle D.J. Jones, linebacker Cody Barton, running back Javonte Williams and both backup quarterbacks -- Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson. But with All-Pro outside linebacker Nik Bonitto still a season away from potential free agency, none of this year's group will warrant the tag for the Broncos. A year from now, if Bonitto doesn't have a new deal in hand, it could be a different story. -- Jeff Legwold

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs have a lengthy list of free agents they would prefer to retain, but a shortage of cap space makes it unlikely they would place the franchise tag on any of them. The Chiefs don't relish the idea of losing guard Trey Smith, but putting a franchise tag on him at a projected cost of $25 million would wipe out their plans to re-sign others. The Chiefs have much already invested in offensive linemen Creed Humphrey, Jawaan Taylor and Joe Thuney, another reason tagging Smith doesn't make a lot of sense. -- Adam Teicher

Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders have used the franchise tag on only six players in club history, most recently Josh Jacobs in 2023. Safety Tre'von Moehrig is among the few free agents the Raiders could try to retain. Moehrig is expected to generate interest in free agency after posting career highs in tackles (104), passes defensed (10) and quarterback hits (three). However, the franchise tag for safeties is close to $20 million, more than Moehrig's projected market value. -- Ryan McFadden

Los Angeles Chargers

Outside linebacker Khalil Mack would be a candidate, but as part of his contract restructure last season, he cannot be franchise-tagged. Outside of Mack, no Charger free agents are worthy of the franchise tag cost. L.A. hasn't used the franchise tag since 2020, when it tagged tight end Hunter Henry. That streak probably will continue this offseason as the Chargers look to retain their top free agents with a projected $63 million in salary cap space. -- Kris Rhim

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys

Defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa is the only candidate the Cowboys would consider, but at a projected cost of more than $23 million against the cap, that's just too pricey. That does not mean the Cowboys won't make a bid to re-sign him before free agency begins. With new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, the under tackle, Odighizuwa's position, is vital. He posted career highs in sacks (4.5) and pressures (54) last season and is the type of player the Cowboys want to build with: a third-round draft pick who was an immediate starter, is an over-the-top worker and is excellent in the locker room. -- Todd Archer

New York Giants

The Giants' top free agent this offseason is Darius Slayton. The franchise tag for a wide receiver will be well over $20 million. Slayton doesn't fall into that category. He's much closer to the Darnell Mooney range ($13 million per season last year in free agency) than elite wide receiver money. Slayton is a good, solid player who could thrive in a more successful offense. But he's not a No. 1 receiver who would command the franchise tag. The Giants already let him test the market and brought him back on a two-year, $12 million deal after the 2022 season. -- Jordan Raanan

Philadelphia Eagles

The last Eagles player to receive the franchise tag designation was wide receiver DeSean Jackson in 2012. It hasn't been part of their team-building model, and with six players set to count $12 million or more against the cap in 2025, it's likely not a practice they'll adopt now. Philadelphia does have several key defensive players set to become free agents, including linebacker Zack Baun and defensive linemen Josh Sweat and Milton Williams, all of whom are in line for big paydays this offseason. The Eagles won't be able to keep all of them. They'll try to offset any personnel losses by continuing their high hit rate in the draft and free agency. -- Tim McManus

Washington Commanders

None of their free agents will be that expensive to re-sign. They have some big-name free agents, notably linebacker Bobby Wagner and tight end Zach Ertz, who are coming off strong seasons. But Wagner made $6.5 million and Ertz $2.4 million in 2024, and given their ages -- both will turn 35 this year -- they won't be overly expensive to keep. -- John Keim

NFC NORTH

Chicago Bears

The Bears used the franchise tag in 2024 as a placeholder on cornerback Jaylon Johnson to execute a long-term deal just two days later. Chicago's top two pending free agents -- receiver Keenan Allen and guard Teven Jenkins -- wouldn't qualify for the tag for a number of reasons. Allen will be 33 this season, and Jenkins missed 23 games over four seasons because of injury. It's more likely the Bears let both players walk and find their replacements in free agency or the draft. -- Courtney Cronin

Detroit Lions

Detroit hasn't used the franchise tag since applying it to defensive end Ezekiel Ansah in 2018 after he registered 12 sacks during the 2017 season. Their priority free agents this offseason are veteran guard Kevin Zeitler, cornerback Carlton Davis III and defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike. But based on general manager Brad Holmes' track record, it doesn't seem like he would exercise that option on anyone from this year's group. He probably will allow them to test the waters before trying to reach a new deal, as he has prioritized developing young talent. -- Eric Woodyard

Green Bay Packers

The Packers have used the tag just once in the past 15 years. It was on receiver Davante Adams in 2022, and that resulted in Adams wanting out of Green Bay. The closest thing the Packers have to a must-sign free agent is kicker Brandon McManus. Next is Josh Myers, but tag numbers are the same for centers, guards and tackles, and a price of more than $20 million is unheard of for a center. -- Rob Demovsky

Minnesota Vikings

Using the tag on quarterback Sam Darnold would be an expensive way of ensuring his return while avoiding a longer-term commitment that would hinder J.J. McCarthy's eventual ascension. It could also be a way to elicit additional value by way of a trade, but that would require a knowledge that multiple teams would be willing to bid. In the end, the Vikings seem more likely to let Darnold sign elsewhere and preserve their tag for a player such as cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., who had a career-high six interceptions in 2024 and is hitting his prime at age 27. If nothing else, it would give the Vikings time to sign Murphy to a longer-term deal while keeping him off the market. -- Kevin Seifert

NFC SOUTH

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons' highest-profile free agents are edge rusher Matthew Judon, safety Justin Simmons and center Drew Dalman. Judon and Simmons were late-summer acquisitions and former Pro Bowlers, but both are in their 30s and didn't produce the way they had previously. If the Falcons, who don't have much cap room, bring them back, they'll be looking for a discount. Dalman and his offensive linemates are close-knit, and they have a strong chemistry on the field. The Falcons won't want to upset the apple cart, though Dalman will have suitors as the best available center. But the franchise tag would be pricey. -- Marc Raimondi

Carolina Panthers

This is a young team in rebuild mode. None of its 21 free agents is so valuable to the rebuild that Carolina would want to go this far to keep him. -- David Newton

New Orleans Saints

With the Saints needing to shed salary cap space, using the franchise tag wouldn't make sense. They've used it sparingly in recent years, likely for this reason, with safety Marcus Williams getting tagged at the cost of $10 million in 2021. The only long-shot candidate would be cornerback Paulson Adebo, who is coming off a femur injury, and with several other young cornerbacks on the roster, that wouldn't be the best financial move for the organization. -- Katherine Terrell

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

While sources told ESPN that the Bucs very much want receiver Chris Godwin back and will do what it takes to make this happen, it won't be by using the franchise tag. They used the tag as a placeholder the last time Godwin was a free agent (in 2022), and they used it on him in 2021, so this would be his third time being tagged -- therefore it would have to be a 144% raise, and I'm told there is "no chance" of that happening. They'll do what it takes to re-sign him as a free agent. -- Jenna Laine

NFC WEST

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals don't have any free agents this offseason whom they need to use the tag on. Arizona addressed its big free agents during the season, extending safety Budda Baker and running back James Conner. The next possible candidate for the tag could be tight end Trey McBride, who will be a free agent this coming season, but it's likely he'll get an extension before training camp starts in July. -- Josh Weinfuss

Los Angeles Rams

It's hard to see the Rams using the franchise tag in 2025. Left tackle Alaric Jackson is a free agent, but with a projected $25.1 million cost, seems like a very unlikely option for Los Angeles. The Rams have several questions to address on their offensive line, and offensive tackle is a spot they could consider in the draft. Los Angeles could also re-sign Jackson after he tests the free agency market. -- Sarah Barshop

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers have plenty of free agents they want to keep but none that they can afford to value at what the cost of the tag would require. From a contract perspective, the Niners' focus has to be on extensions for players such as quarterback Brock Purdy and tight end George Kittle rather than the exorbitant price and drawn out negotiations that go with the tag. That means cornerback Charvarius Ward, linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga probably will test the market and/or work on deals to stay in San Francisco. -- Nick Wagoner

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks rarely use the tag to begin with, doing so only twice since general manager John Schneider arrived in 2010, and it isn't an option this year. Ernest Jones IV is their top free agent, but inside linebackers like Jones and pass-rushing outside linebackers are all viewed the same for tag purposes. With the latter driving up the price, Over The Cap projects the tag number for all linebackers to be north of $27 million, which is considerably more than what Jones is in line to make on a per-year average. Besides, Jones was confident at season's end that the two sides would reach a deal before free agency. -- Brady Henderson