Report: Seahawks will not use franchise tag on Steven Hauschka
Feb 2, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Seattle Seahawks kicker Steven Hauschka (4) makes a field goal against the Denver Broncos during the first quarter in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Steven Hauschka proved in 2013 that he is one of the most reliable kickers in the NFL, but it looks like for the second-straight year, the Seahawks will not use a franchise tag on Hauschka.
USA Today’s Tom Pelissero broke the news first:
Thought maybe #Seahawks would be tempted to use their franchise tag on Steven Hauschka. I'm told they will not.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 3, 2014
The use of the franchise tag would have cost the Seahawks $3.556 million, a significant increase from Hauschka’s current $715,000 contract. Seattle had the chance to tag Hauschka last season, but opted not to and agreed on a one-year contract.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported that if the Seahawks can’t reach a contract agreement with Hauschka before March 11, he’ll be free to sign with another team.
Extremely accurate, Hauschka only missed two field goals last season, going 33 of 35 on his field goal attempts.
The Seahawks have been cutting financial corners all offseason, making salary cap space for Michael Bennett and Golden Tate.
They may regret not paying Hauschka if he elects to walk, however. A kicker with as much accuracy and consistency as Hauschka is not easy to find in free agency.