Hunter Henry has had the franchise tag placed on him by the Los Angeles Chargers, while the Denver Broncos have taken the same step with safety Justin Simmons.

Tight end Henry was set to become one of the top offensive players on the open market but will now remain under the control of the Chargers, who released Thomas Davis and Brandon Mebane on Friday.

The 25-year-old's one-year tag is expected to be worth just over $11million as he remains on a team in transition after they moved on from quarterback Philip Rivers.

Henry has overcome two serious injuries in his first four seasons after being drafted in the second round in 2016.

He missed the entire 2018 regular season but bounced back with 652 yards and five touchdowns in 2019.

The Broncos made the same move by applying the franchise tag to Simmons, who was an All-Pro last year after racking up four interceptions and 15 passes defensed, playing every defensive snap.

"We remain focused on reaching a long-term contract agreement with Justin, and he's a big priority for us," general manager John Elway said of the 2016 third-round pick, whose tag will cost around $12.75m.

"This is a placeholder in that process and our goal is the same - to make sure that Justin is a Bronco for a long time."

Earlier, the Baltimore Ravens franchise tagged Matthew Judon, as teams make their intentions clear with free agency set to begin on March 18.