NFL teams may designate franchise and transition players during a 15-day period starting Feb. 5 and lasting until 4 p.m. ET on Feb. 19. The salary level offered by the player's previous team determines what type of franchise or transition player he is. Clubs can designate one franchise player or one transition player in any given year.
Below is a look at the top 10 cap figures for each position as provided by the NFLPA, along with their franchise and transition tag amounts:
Offense | Defense |
| Player | Total | | Peyton Manning | $18,704,320 | | Tom Brady | $14,620,000 | | Carson Palmer | $13,980,001 | | Aaron Rodgers | $13,952,500 | | Brett Favre | $12,000,000 | | » Franchise: $14.65 million. | | Eli Manning | $11,416,666 | | Jake Delhomme | $10,956,666 | | Matt Hasselbeck | $9,950,000 | | David Garrard | $9,475,000 | | Donovan McNabb | $9,353,912 | | » Transition: $12.44 million. | | | Player | Total | | Julius Peppers | $13,902,500 | | John Abraham | $8,500,000 | | Aaron Schobel | $8,066,666 | | Jason Taylor | $7,500,000 | | Luis Castillo | $6,983,500 | | » Franchise: $8.99 million. | | Mario Williams | $6,875,000 | | Richard Seymour | $6,730,000 | | Robert Mathis | $6,650,000 | | Adewale Ogunleye | $6,358,855 | | Tony Weaver | $6,200,000 | | » Transition: $7.77 million. | |
| Player | Total | | LaDainian Tomlinson | $7,816,666 | | Edgerrin James | $6,750,000 | | Jamal Lewis | $6,400,000 | | Ronnie Brown | $6,106,800 | | Clinton Portis | $6,031,083 | | » Franchise: $6.62 million. | | Larry Johnson | $5,659,131 | | Thomas Jones | $5,500,000 | | Reggie Bush | $5,050,000 | | Fred Taylor | $5,000,000 | | Deuce McAllister | $4,936,666 | | » Transition: $5.93 million. | | | Player | Total | | Albert Haynesworth | $7,250,003 | | Cornelius Griffin | $6,166,333 | | Tommie Harris | $6,030,662 | | Marcus Stroud | $5,666,666 | | Casey Hampton | $5,177,083 | | » Franchise: $6.06 million. | | Pat Williams | $5,160,540 | | Kris Jenkins | $5,150,000 | | Cory Redding | $4,733,333 | | Rocky Bernard | $4,664,706 | | La'Roi Glover | $4,500,000 | | » Transition: $5.45 million. | |
| Player | Total | | Marvin Harrison | $12,000,000 | | Lee Evans | $10,374,585 | | Bernard Berrian | $9,438,333 | | Torry Holt | $9,104,714 | | Andre Johnson | $8,504,848 | | » Franchise: $9.88 million. | | Braylon Edwards | $7,393,750 | | Larry Fitzgerald | $6,993,334 | | Deion Branch | $6,760,000 | | Hines Ward | $6,700,000 | | Reggie Wayne | $6,660,000 | | » Transition: $8.39 million. | | | Player | Total | | Ray Lewis | $9,428,574 | | Terrell Suggs | $8,475,000 | | Karlos Dansby | $8,065,000 | | Keith Bulluck | $7,858,668 | | Keith Brooking | $7,692,226 | | » Franchise: $8.3 million. | | Julian Peterson | $7,300,000 | | Joey Porter | $7,200,000 | | Shaun Phillips | $6,537,912 | | Marcus Washington | $6,445,416 | | Will Witherspoon | $5,800,000 | | » Transition: $7.48 million. | |
| Player | Total | | Tony Gonzalez | $5,031,375 | | L.J Smith | $4,522,000 | | Kellen Winslow | $4,449,584 | | Antonio Gates | $4,200,000 | | Jason Witten | $4,105,000 | | » Franchise: $4.46 million. | | Daniel Graham | $3,950,000 | | Randy McMichael | $3,900,000 | | Jim Kleinsasser | $3,750,000 | | Todd Heap | $3,497,500 | | Vernon Davis | $3,240,000 | | » Transition: $4.07 million. | | | Player | Total | | Champ Bailey | $12,190,050 | | Chris McAlister | $10,907,082 | | Nnamdi Asomugha | $9,765,000 | | Asante Samuel | $8,645,000 | | Patrick Surtain | $8,280,000 | | » Franchise: $9.96 million. | | Charles Tillman | $8,166,666 | | Shawn Springs | $7,483,333 | | Drayton Florence | $6,500,000 | | Brian Williams | $6,000,000 | | Ken Lucas | $5,805,000 | | » Transition: $8.37 million. | |
| Player | Total | | Eric Steinbach | $9,166,666 | | Joe Thomas | $8,860,000 | | Walter Jones | $8,600,000 | | Orlando Pace | $8,175,000 | | Jordan Gross | $7,455,000 | | » Franchise: $8.45 million. | | Stacy Andrews | $7,455,000 | | Chad Clifton | $7,034,166 | | Jeff Faine | $7,000,000 | | Max Starks | $6,895,000 | | Mike Gandy | $6,800,000 | | » Transition: $7.74 million. | | | Player | Total | | Bob Sanders | $8,209,999 | | Troy Polamalu | $6,820,000 | | Roy L. Williams | $6,667,385 | | Madieu Williams | $5,271,666 | | Adrian Wilson | $4,739,499 | | » Franchise: $6.34 million. | | Darren Sharper | $4,150,000 | | Chris Hope | $4,000,002 | | Michael Lewis | $3,905,000 | | Corey Chavous | $3,800,000 | | Rodney Harrison | $3,731,769 | | » Transition: $5.13 million. | |
| Player | Total | | Sebastian Janikowski | $3,010,000 | | Robbie Gould | $2,520,000 | | Adam Vinatieri | $2,350,000 | | John Kasay | $2,300,000 | | Brian Moorman | $2,236,428 | | » Franchise: $2.48 million. | | Ryan Longwell | $2,220,000 | | Craig Hentrich | $2,083,750 | | Jason Hanson | $2,080,000 | | Jeff Reed | $1,958,333 | | Shane Lechler | $1,882,858 | | » Transition: $2.26 million. | | |
