What does Franchise Player Mean in Pro Football?

Answer 1

The NFL Players Association and the owners agreed to allow teams to designate two players on their roster who are unrestricted free agents as franchise players. There are two types of franchise players ... exclusive and non-exclusive, and a team may designate one player as each.

An exclusive franchise player may not negotiate with other teams. The player's team must offer him a one year contract which is A) 20% higher than the player's previous season's salary, or B) the average of the top five salaries for players that play the same position. Whichever is higher, A or B, is the salary the player will make the following season.

A non-exclusive franchise player must be offered a one year deal the same, A or B above, as the exclusive player, however, he may negotiate with other teams. If the non-exclusive player signs an offer from another team his current team has the right to match it and keep him on their roster. If his current team does not match the offer they will receive two #1 draft choices from the team the player signed with.