Casey Hampton has made it clear he does not want the Steelers to use a franchise tag on him.
In less than two weeks, the Steelers may do so anyway and tell the five-time Pro Bowler that it is simply business.
By tagging Hampton, the Steelers would effectively deny the veteran nose tackle the chance to hit the open market.
"Our stance on the tag is that while we don't like to use (it), we're never going to say that we're not going to use something that is collectively bargained as a tool in this process," Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert said Friday.
Translation: the Steelers will use a franchise tag on Hampton as a last resort March 5, when the free-agent signing period starts. Continue
