NFL teams could begin playing tag on Monday, and it’s no kids’ game for the 32 teams.

Applying franchise and even transition tags to players can have major ramifications on a team’s present and future. That was never more of a consideration than this year, with the salary cap decreasing for now by $18 million. That’s the first time the cap has gone down, which is due to lost revenues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It has always gone up,” says Bill Polian, a Pro Football Hall of Fame executive. “So have the expectations of the players and agents. This is the first time this is not happening. That is a sea change.”