Kawann Short is due for a big raise in 2017.

The former Purdue star took a big step in that direction on Monday when the Carolina Panthers announced that they put the franchise tag on him.

His rookie contract will officially end on March 9, which made the franchise tag the likely course of action.

That will give the team until July 15 to negotiate a long-term contract with Short. That, however, has been an unsuccessful venture for over a year.

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If a long-term agreement isn’t in Short’s immediate future, he’ll play the 2017 season on a one-year deal for the average salary of the NFL’s top five defensive tackles.

Short is coming off a year in which his production took a dip. The former All-B1G selection finished 2016 with six sacks after posting 11 in the Panthers’ Super Bowl run in 2015.

Still, Short figures to be one of the highest-paid defensive tackles in the league when 2017 kicks off.