Washington Football Team and All-Pro right guard Brandon Scherff have not had any contract talks on a long-term deal, since Scherff signed his franchise tag, head coach Ron Rivera revealed Thursday.
“That situation hasn’t changed. We’ve got Brandon signed right now,” Rivera said, per Sam Fortier of the Washington Post. “… We’re most certainly interested, but we haven’t talked since he signed [the franchise tag].”
Scherff signed his franchise tender that will guarantee him $18.036 million for the upcoming 2021 season. Both sides have until July 15 to work out a long-term deal. If a deal is not reached, Washington and Scherff cannot have contract talks until after the season.
This is the second straight year Washington has placed the franchise tag on Scherff. That pretty much ensures Scherff won’t be tagged next season, given it will require giving Scherff a 144% raise over his 2021 salary. Thus, Scherff would most likely hit free agency in 2022.
Scherff, 29, is a four-time pro bowler. Last season, he overcame an MCL sprain that kept him out of three games to become the first Washington player to earn first-team All-Pro honors since 1996. He has established himself as one of the elite offensive guards in the NFL. Washington will be hard-pressed to get a deal done, but for whatever reasons the two sides aren’t on the same page.
