This year, it will cost nearly $4.5MM for teams to apply the first-round tender to restricted free agents, according to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The official figures won’t come out until we get closer to free agency in March, but Corry has estimated the numbers based on the assumption that the 2019 salary cap will be approximately $190MM: 
- Low tender: $2.045MM
- Second Round: $3.124MM
- First Round: $4.449MM
[RELATED: 2019 Salary Cap Expected To Fall Between $187-$191MM]
Restricted free agency applies to players who have exactly three accrued seasons, meaning they’ve been on a full pay scale for at least six regular season games in three years in the NFL. Players with fewer than three accrued seasons and no contract are exclusive rights free agents, while players with four or more accrued seasons are eligible for unrestricted free agency. For draftees, the default rookie contract runs for four years, meaning those players will generally be unrestricted free agents when their original deals expire.
Per the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, RFA tender amounts are increased annually based on the percentage of the salary cap increase. This year’s cap is $177.2MM, so an increase to $190MM represents a 7.2% bump for RFA tenders, which would be one of the highest upticks in NFL history.
There’s no telling where the cap will land in 2020, but RFA tender increases have a built in floor and ceiling to prevent severe fluctuation. The tenders must increase by at least 5%, per the CBA, while the maximum increase is 10%. For example, when the cap went up by less than 2% in 2013, the RFA tender amounts still increased by 5%. And, if the 2020 cap were to increase by 12%, RFA tenders would only go up 10%.
Ultimately, the cap increase is great news for owners and players alike, but the prospect of a 2021 lockout still looms large over the league. The salary cap has increased 40% since 2013, but players are expected to fight for a larger share of the pie and other changes that will protect against career-altering injuries.