Dec 16, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders punter Shane Lechler (9) punts the ball during the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at O.co Coliseum. The Oakland Raiders defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 15-0. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
The Raiders do not plan on placing the franchise tag on punter Shane Lechler, according to ESPN.
Lechler signed a four-year $16 million contract in 2009 that made him the highest payed punter in the NFL.
He would have made $5.2 million under the franchise tag.
Now that he is a free agent, it is not likely that Lechler will return to the Raiders.
Lechler is a seven time Pro Bowler and has made the All-Pro team nine times. He was named to the NFL’s 2000s All-Decade team, and has the record for the longest punt in Raiders history of 80 yards.
Eric runs Golden Gate Sports, a blog that covers all the sports teams in the Bay Area. Born and raised in Northern California, Eric has been a fan of Bay Area sports for his entire life. If you're wondering how someone can support both the Niners and Raiders, just ask him. For anything else, contact him via email at 
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