Rewarding him with a long-term contract after a prolonged holdout this season would set a bad precedent, as it would signal to players that the most effective method of extracting a desirable contract from the organization is to withhold their services. Donald is set to become a free agent after this season — he would be a restricted free agent as opposed to an unrestricted free agent if he doesn’t report by Tuesday — but the Rams could block his departure for as many as three years by putting a franchise tag on him.

Source: Los Angeles Times August 02, 2018 04:18 UTC