Friday, the NFL released its franchise, tender, and fifth-year option amounts for the 2025 season. The Pittsburgh Steelers won’t franchise tag any of their pending free agents and with 2022 first-round pick QB Kenny Pickett in Philadelphia, the option amount is moot. But the restricted free agent tender amounts are important information with RB Jaylen Warren expected to receive one ahead of the new league year.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero shared the tender levels and amounts for 2025.
Here are the restricted free agent tender numbers: pic.twitter.com/hJZJCuw5Hc
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 28, 2025
The right-of-first-refusal tender, the lowest amount, comes in at $3.263 million. If the Steelers place that on Warren and he is signed by another team, Pittsburgh wouldn’t receive any draft compensation.
A second-round tender will cost Pittsburgh $5.346 million. Under that scenario, if a team signed Warren, Pittsburgh would receive a second-round pick. It’s a situation unlikely to play out, meaning the second-round tender would virtually guarantee Warren’s 2025 return.
Pittsburgh will have to decide which tender to use. The right of first refusal is cheaper but opens the possibility of another team attempting to sign Warren to an offer sheet and snag him without giving up any draft picks. The second rounder would tell teams to “back off” and keep Warren a Steeler for at least another season.
“I’m confident we’re gonna tender him and be in a position where Jaylen’s gonna be here,” Steelers GM Omar Khan told reporters Tuesday while making the media rounds.
However, Khan wasn’t asked and didn’t specify which tender the team planned to use on him. It’ll be a situation worth watching over the next 10 days even if the ultimate outcome is likely to remain the same – Warren will be a Steeler in 2025. His role is a different question. Will Najee Harris leave and elevate Warren from 1B to 1A? Or will Harris surprise most people and return to Pittsburgh? If he leaves, how will the Steelers replace him and what how will the new-look committee function?
Whichever tender the Steelers use, Warren will be an unrestricted free agent for the 2026 season unless he is signed to a multi-year contract.
Elsewhere, Pelissero noted Proven Performance Escalators (PPE) for underpaid players like WR George Pickens, heading into the final year of his rookie deal. Pickens will receive a $250,000 raise in his 2025 base salary, giving him a total salary of $3.656 million.
While Pickens may want a contract extension, it seems unlikely to happen this offseason. Pittsburgh appears intent on letting the final year of his rookie deal play out and evaluate after 2025 when Pickens will be headed toward free agency. However, the Steelers could use the franchise tag to prevent him from hitting the market should Pickens have a great season.
