The Washington Redskins have announced that they will keep right guard Brandon Scherff around for the 2020 season be placing the franchise tag on him.
There were previous reports that the Redskins were working to extend Scherff on a longterm deal, as to avoid using the franchise tag, but that apparently did not get done.
The one year deal is expected to have a value of approximately $16.1 million, according to Over the Cap.
Scherff, who was drafted by the Redskins in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, has been public about his desires to play in Washington for the remainder of his career, but it is clear that the two parties were unable to reach a long-term deal with the three-time Pro-Bowler as of yet. By placing the franchise tag on him now, the Redskins will ensure that Scherff sticks around for one more year while they can work to get a long-term deal reached.
Of course, there is the potential that the Redskins don’t end up extending Scherff down the road, and they rather choose to let him walk into free agency in 2021. If they were to do so, the extra year of growth for second-year RG Wes Martin will be highly valuable, learning under Scherff this season.
The coming season will be very telling for Scherff, a player who has struggled with injuries as of late in his career, missing 21 games over the last three seasons. With a new coaching staff in place, it’s no surprise that the Redskins want to get another look at Scherff before committing to him long-term.
