The NFL provided clarity to its teams on Friday by setting the salary cap ceiling ($255.4MM). Franchise tag figures have been locked in as well, and clubs can now proceed with their offseason planning knowing exactly where they stand with respect to financial flexibility. Courtesy of Over the Cap, here is the current landscape in terms of salary cap space:
- Washington Commanders: $79.61MM
- Tennessee Titans: $78.66MM
- Chicago Bears: $78.34MM
- New England Patriots: $77.96MM
- Indianapolis Colts: $72.34MM
- Houston Texans: $67.58MM
- Detroit Lions: $57.61MM
- Arizona Cardinals: $51.1MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $50.67MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $43.68MM
- Los Angles Rams: $43.11MM
- Las Vegas Raiders: $42.94MM
- Minnesota Vikings: $35.81MM
- Carolina Panthers: $34.57MM
- Atlanta Falcons: $33MM
- New York Giants: $30.8MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $27.35MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $24.68MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $18.19MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $16.63MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $12.97MM
- New York Jets: $12.76MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $9MM
- Green Bay Packers: $2.3MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $5.07MM over the cap
- Cleveland Browns: $7.76MM over
- Dallas Cowboys: $9.86MM over
- Denver Broncos: $16.81MM over
- Los Angeles Chargers: $25.61MM over
- Miami Dolphins: $27.92MM over
- New Orleans Saints: $42.11MM over
- Buffalo Bills: $43.82MM over
All teams must be cap compliant by the start of the new league year, but it will of course be more than just those currently over the limit which will make cost-shedding moves in the near future. Cuts, restructures and extensions are available as tools to carve out space in advance of free agency. Several have already taken place around the league.
That includes the Dolphins’ release of defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah and the planned cut of Xavien Howard. The latter cannot be designated a post-June 1 release until free agency begins but once it happens, Miami will move much closer to cap compliance. The Saints have moved considerable commitments into the future via restructures (as usual), but more transactions on that front will be required even with the cap seeing an historic single-season jump.
The roughly $30MM spike from 2023 will provide unforeseen spending power for teams already set to lead the pack in cap space while also making the task of those at the bottom of the list easier. Spending more on backloaded contracts this offseason at the expense of future space obviously carries risk, however. Still, the news of a higher-than-expected ceiling will add further intrigue to each team’s financial planning.
With Dak Prescott and Deshaun Watson each set to carry record-breaking cap hits for 2024, the Cowboys and Browns will be among the teams most in need of working out a deal to lower those figures. In Dallas’ case in particular, an extension would provide immediate breathing room in addition to clarity on his future beyond the coming season. For Cleveland, Watson’s fully-guaranteed deal has already been restructured once and will need to be again to avoid consecutive years of a $64MM cap charge over its remaining term.
If the Commanders and Patriots add a quarterback with the second and third picks in this year’s draft, each team currently in the top six in space will enjoy the benefits of having a signal-caller on their rookie contracts. That would allow for an aggressive approach to free agency, although the Chiefs’ success after Patrick Mahomes signed (and re-worked) his monster extension has proven it is possible to win Super Bowl titles with a substantial QB investment on the books.
Cap numbers are mostly meaningless now since teams started tacking on multiple void years to contracts. Use to be a restructure could only shift the cap hit for the remaining length of the real contract.
Yeah, so when does the rollover from last year get applied? All together the Niners should sit about $30mil under their allotted cap space, before any moves or restructures. Does the team have to be cap complaint without rollover at the start of the league year, and then it gets added after? Genuinely do not know. Same question in regards to dead cap. Does it get applied after the start of the league year? Or is it part of the cap equation for start of year?
I pretty sure teams have unlimited money till the start of spring training because you have to remember they draft is after free agency now
The article says teams have to cap compliant at the start of the league year.
March 13th is the new league year.
Niners are somewhere between 2-6 million under. no idea where they are getting the 5 million over.
over the cap has them at 2 under and spotraq has them at 6 under.
Not sure those numbers are accurate. Multiple sites show different figures for the teams after the announcement.
Or it could be there are multiple types of figures. I had just read teams had higher figures – up to $96m – after the ceiling was raised.
You have to remember some sites haven’t updated teams cap space for players who may have been released the last few days
Also, some sites are deducting 10-12 mill for the ’24 draft class.
These are very wrong lol. Patriots have over 89 mill in cap
These figures aren’t very accurate. For instance the Bears actually have 82 million available because this chart doesn’t count the Rollover money that wasn’t used last year. The Bears had about 5 million left so their cap # is 260 million. Go to Spotrac and you’ll find much more accurate numbers.
I guess the Bills should start cutting … the window was cracked but now it’s slammed shut.
You must really wish that was true.
Parroting the media instead of forming your own opinion
Interesting how the cap -and- the draft order both work in their own way to create a league full of 9-8 teams.
78% of the league had a record other than 9-8.
I’ll pile on-half the teams would need to finish 8-9 cuz I’m pretty sure everyone going 9-8 is mathematically impossible…
Howie just said Bradberry is under contract and part of our plans. I hope this is some kind of diversionary tactic ( although I can’t see anyone falling for it) to pump up value in a trade. Bradberry is toast. Time to cut losses and go draft picks, free agents or even younger guys they already have.