DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Lions’ website is reporting that the team will not use the franchise tag on star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

Monday is the deadline for teams to designate franchise or transition players. Suh can test the open market when free agency begins March 10.

The Lions did not officially confirm the decision to let the deadline pass without franchising their 28-year-old All-Pro, but the report on the team’s website said Detroit concluded that the franchise tag’s price of around $27 million for Suh proved too daunting. Last month, general manager Martin Mayhew said he was “very optimistic” about getting a deal done with Suh, but the franchise tag was probably the team’s best source of leverage, and even that would have come at a prohibitive cost.