Report: Texans unlikely to use franchise tag

A tight salary-cap situation is likely to prevent the Houston Texans from using the franchise tag, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

The team would surely like to retain impending free-agent cornerback A.J. Bouye, but it would cost a little over $14 million to apply the one-year franchise tender to him.

With about $25 million in projected salary-cap space, that would leave the Texans with little money to sign other free agents and their incoming rookie class.

Bouye broke out in 2016 and is expected to cash in big in free agency. The Texans could still find a way to keep Bouye on a long-term deal that pushes the bulk of his cap hit to future years.

As Wilson notes, the Texans have used the franchise tag only once in team history. In 2009, the team used it on cornerback Dunta Robinson.