Can one player make a difference?

No, it isn't. But at the same time, if he is willing to sign a long-term deal for possibly less money than he would elsewhere BECAUSE of his lack of production other years, the head-stomping incident, loyalty to the team who gave him a start, etc., then throwing around the franchise threat isn't possibly the best approach.

If this thing goes into mid-February and starts to get ugly, then I fully expect they'll franchise him or trade him for someone's first-round draft pick. No way they let him walk.

We have no idea how Al will react to being tagged if that happens. He may refuse to play or simply go through the motions unless the tag is guaranteed to only be used for one season. That being the case, I think the long-term contract will cost even more for the Titans and the risk of losing him is much greater.