The Dallas Cowboys are trying to keep the key pieces on their team around for as long as they can, and Osa Odighizuwa is one of those players they seem to value. With them not reaching a deal with the defensive tackle yet, there’s a good chance that they plan to franchise tag him, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

“Sources; The Cowboys plan to utilize the franchise tag on defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa if a long-term deal is not reached by Tuesday. No final decision but that is the current expectation. The tag is projected at $25.1 million,” Fowler wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Odighizuwa had his best season last year with a career-high 4.5 sacks, 47 tackles, five tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and a pass deflection. He was also second on the Cowboys with 54 pressures, which was behind Micah Parsons.

It would be the seventh time in eight years the Cowboys have decided to use the franchise tag. The last two players they tagged were Tony Pollard and Dalton Schultz, but unfortunately, they did not sign long-term deals and left in the next year in free agency. On the other hand, Dak Prescott and Demarcus Lawrence were franchise-tagged, and the Cowboys were able to sign them to long-term deals.

The Cowboys’ defense took a step back last season after having one of the better units in the league the year before. With several injuries on the defensive line and secondary throughout the season, it was hard for them to find any consistency, and it led them to having a lackluster year.

With Mike McCarthy out and Brian Schottenheimer in as the head coach, it will be interesting to see what the Cowboys will look like as a unit when fully healthy and if this is the right hire for the team moving forward.