Chiefs officially place franchise tag on Dee Ford for 2019

A report emerged on Saturday from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the Chiefs had placed the franchise tag on Dee Ford. This was something that was expected and something that Brett Veach confirmed was still a possibility when we spoke with him at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine.

Now numerous reports have emerged that the Chiefs have officially designated Dee Ford as their franchise player for the 2019 season. This comes ahead of the March 5th franchise tag deadline. Take a look:

The Chiefs have officially franchised DE/OLB Dee Ford, per source.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 4, 2019

As others have reported, Dee Ford’s franchise tag is official.

— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) March 4, 2019

The #Chiefs have franchise tagged Dee Ford, source said. Another pass rusher off the open market.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 4, 2019

And now the team has made it official:

Chiefs Place Franchise Tag on LB Dee Ford pic.twitter.com/ZBtausLnTR

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) March 4, 2019

Ford was drafted by the Chiefs in the first round of the 2014 draft. The 2018 season was his most productive season yet with 13.0 sacks, and he established himself as a top edge defender in the league.

With the franchise tag being officially applied the Chiefs will continue to field trade offers on Ford. Keep in mind that if the Chiefs let him walk in 2020, they’d receive a top-100 compensatory pick for him the following season. The Chiefs will be looking for a minimum of two top-100 picks in the 2019 NFL draft to deal Ford right now. One of those picks would likely have to be a first round selection.