With Carolina cornerback Josh Norman expected to get hit with the Panthers' franchise tag sometime in the next 25 hours, let's take a look at the team's history with the tag.
Of the five times they've used it, two worked out. The other three? Not so much.
Year — 2003
Player — Punter Todd Sauerbrun
Cost — $1.47 million
What Happened
Coming off two Pro Bowl seasons, Sauerbrun wanted to become the league's highest-paid punter. The two sides eventually agreed on a long-term deal during Week 2 of the Super Bowl season. Sauerbrun got what he was looking for, becoming the highest-paid punter in history with a four-year extension that averaged $1.5 million a year.
Sauerbrun was named to another Pro Bowl before the wheels fell off in 2004. A few months after he was charged with DWI, he was named in a steroid investigation.
The Panthers finally rid themselves of the headache when they traded Sauerbrun to Denver in exchange for punter Jason Baker and a 7th round pick. Baker punted for the Panthers the next seven seasons. Sauerbrun played his final NFL game in 2007 after he was charged with assaulting a taxi driver.
Year — 2008
Player — Offensive tackle Jordan Gross
Cost — $7.45 million
What Happened
Gross made the Pro Bowl while playing under the tag. He was then rewarded with a six-year deal worth nearly $60 million. Gross made two more Pro Bowls (2010, 2013) before retiring in Feb. 2014.
Year — 2009
Player — Defensive end Julius Peppers
Cost — $16.68 million
What Happened
On the same day the Panthers gave Gross his new deal, they locked Peppers into Carolina. They didn't want him to leave, but as he made clear while turning down an extension in 2008 that would have made him the NFL's highest-paid player, he didn't want to stay.
In his final Panthers season, Peppers racked up 10.5 sacks in 14 games, earning a fifth Pro Bowl and raising his money earned to $18.2 million.
Facing the reality of paying at least $20.1 million if they used the tag on Peppers for a second season, the Panthers finally let him go. He signed a six-year, $91.5 million deal with the Bears on the first day of free agency in 2010.
Year — 2011
Player — Center Ryan Kalil
Cost — $10.1 million
What Happened
The Panthers could have used their tag on Kalil, running back DeAngelo Williams or defensive end Charles Johnson. They ended up signing all three to long-term deals within three weeks of each other ahead of the 2011 season.
Instead of playing under the tag, Kalil became the league's highest-paid center with a six-year contract worth $49 million. He's made three Pro Bowls since, upping his career total to five.
Year — 2014
Player — Defensive end Greg Hardy
Cost — $13.1 million
What Happened
Hardy wasted little time signing his tender and even took a $1.3 million advance. Three months later, he was arrested and charged with assaulting his ex-girlfriend. He was found guilty in a bench trial, but returned to the team while his case was under appeal.
Hardy had a sack in the season opener at Tampa Bay, but the next morning, TMZ released a videotape of Ravens running back Ray Rice that changed the NFL landscape. Hardy finished the year on the Commissioners' Exempt List, meaning he made $13.1 million for one sack.
Knowing his character concerns, the Panthers let Hardy walk. After the Cowboys gave him his second chance, he had six sacks in 12 games. Dallas is now done with him.