Jaguars reportedly will not use franchise tag on Allen Robinson

The Jacksonville Jaguars made it to the AFC Championship Game despite not having Allen Robinson for almost the entire 2017 season, and perhaps they feel as though they can duplicate that success without him going forward.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that the Jaguars have informed Robinson that they are not going to use the franchise tag on him ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.

The #Jaguars have informed WR Allen Robinson that they won’t be applying the franchise or transition tag, I’m told. The team has until March 12 to work out a deal before he’s a free agent.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 6, 2018

That’s somewhat surprising, as Robinson would easily be the top free agent wide receiver available if he hits the open market. The franchise tag number for receivers is just south of $16 million in 2018, and that’s likely what Robinson would get even coming off a torn ACL.

While the Jags could still work out a long-term deal with Robinson before free agency officially begins, their decision to not use the tag makes it seem like the 24-year-old could be on his way out. Perhaps they simply do not want to commit the money to that position with how good their defense has been and the recent extension they handed out to another key player.