Before the start of the NFL’s legal tampering period in March, the New England Patriots opted to use the franchise tag to keep left guard Joe Thuney from hitting unrestricted free agency. Thuney was heading towards free agency coming off an impressive four-year stretch during which he started all 74 possible games and helped the Patriots win two Super Bowls — all while becoming one of the most reliable interior offensive linemen in football.
Despite that and the application of a franchise tag tender that he quickly signed, however, Thuney’s future with the Patriots is not set in stone.