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2025 NFL Cap Carryover, By Team

January 11th, 2025 at 9:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

With the regular season in the books, all NFL teams have declared their cap carryover for the 2025 league year. Unused cap space from the current campaign will roll over, a substantial element of many teams’ financial planning.

Last offseason saw a record-breaking jump in the salary cap ceiling (pushing the upper limit to $255.4MM). To no surprise, another spike is expected but a smaller year-to-year increase is likely to take place. It was learned last month that teams are preparing for the 2025 cap to check in at a figure between $265MM-$275MM.

As teams evaluate key roster-building decisions – including restructures and cuts aimed at manufacturing cap space – carryovers are crucial. It it still not known what exactly the cap ceiling will wind up as, but in the meantime every club’s space which has been rolled over will add a degree of clarity with respect to how their offseason will take shape. Several teams (including the top two on this year’s list) have made a concerted effort in recent years to carry unused space through the course of a campaign knowing a spike in cap charges for core players are forthcoming.

Courtesy of Over the Cap, here is the full breakdown of each team’s 2025 cap carryover amount:

  • San Francisco 49ers: $50.01MM
  • Cleveland Browns: $41.95MM
  • New England Patriots: $34.86MM
  • Las Vegas Raiders: $33.57MM
  • Detroit Lions: $23.73MM
  • Washington Commanders: $19.83MM
  • Dallas Cowboys: $18.84MM
  • Jacksonville Jaguars: $15.89MM
  • Green Bay Packers: $15.11MM
  • Tennessee Titans: $14.72MM
  • Arizona Cardinals: $11.38MM
  • Indianapolis Colts: $10.1MM
  • Seattle Seahawks: $8.42MM
  • Pittsburgh Steelers: $6.83MM
  • Philadelphia Eagles: $6.81MM
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $6.63MM
  • Atlanta Falcons: $6.07MM
  • Minnesota Vikings: $5.94MM
  • Cincinnati Bengals: $5.94MM
  • Chicago Bears: $5.08MM
  • Los Angeles Chargers: $4.89MM
  • Houston Texans: $4.81MM
  • Kansas City Chiefs: $3.15MM
  • Miami Dolphins: $3MM
  • New Orleans Saints: $2.93MM
  • Los Angeles Rams: $2.75MM
  • Baltimore Ravens: $2.14MM
  • Denver Broncos: $1.91MM
  • Buffalo Bills: $1.34MM
  • New York Giants: $1.17MM
  • Carolina Panthers: $490K
  • New York Jets: $346K

Chris Ballard: Colts Eyeing QB Addition, Philosophical Shift This Offseason

January 10th, 2025 at 11:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Colts were considered a team to watch as ‘Black Monday’ approached considering the manner in which their season ended. Despite finishing the campaign at 8-9 and out of the playoffs once again, owner Jim Irsay immediately made it clear both head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard would be retained for 2025.

The latter is well aware Indianapolis fell short of expectations, and when speaking to the media on Friday he acknowledged his roster-building approach played a central role. Ballard’s tenure at the helm of the Colts has been defined in no small part by his preference of keeping in-house players in the fold rather than devoting cap resources to outside additions. This past offseason was no different, with 13 players either being re-signed to a new deal or receiving an extension.

“Right now, we’re not close,” Ballard conceded (via ESPN’s Stephen Holder). “I’m going to make this really clear… Going 8-9, that’s not close. No, I’m not saying we won’t be closer when we get to the start of [next] season. But right now, sitting here today, we’re an 8-9 football team. We’ve got to own that.”

Ballard noted part of the process of ending the Colts’ four-year playoff drought could very well be a change in roster-building philosophy. The likes of DeForest Buckner, Michael Pittman Jr. and Zaire Franklin each received big-ticket extensions last spring, while Grover Stewart, Kenny Moore and Tyquan Lewis avoided free agency with 10-figure contracts of their own. If Ballard follows through on his plan to shift his strategy, that core could see competition brought in at several positions from outside the organization.

Like all teams, the Colts will make a number of cap-related moves in the coming weeks through cuts and restructures. As of now, though, Indianapolis is on track to have roughly $32MM in available funds once the new league year begins. That, coupled with seven draft picks (including three of the first 80 selections) will prove critical as Ballard looks to supplement the existing nucleus he has constructed.

Of course, another major goal for 2025 will be improved play under center. Year 2 did not go as planned for Anthony Richardson, and the former No. 4 pick was again unable to stay healthy for a full season. Steichen recently said he would be open to bringing in a quarterback (presumably a veteran) capable of competing with Richardson for the QB1 gig. To no surprise, Ballard echoed that sentiment on Friday.

“We can’t beat our head against the wall,” Ballard said. “We’ve got to have competition at the position for, one, competition makes everybody better and, two, [Richardson has] not proven he can play 17 games.”

Joe Flacco – who does not plan to retire – is a pending free agent, so if the Colts elect to go in another direction at the quarterback spot their intentions of looking outside the organization to a larger extent will be put to the test. With Ballard’s seat no doubt warming, it will be interesting to see how he proceeds as the offseason unfolds.

Colts Interview Browns’ Ephraim Banda For DC

January 10th, 2025 at 7:38pm CST by Ely Allen

The meteoric rise continues for Ephraim Banda. The Browns safeties coach has only been in the NFL for two years, and he already has earned his first defensive coordinator interview. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that Banda will meet with the Colts about their open defensive coordinator position.

Banda’s story is an inspiring one of perseverance and never giving up on your dreams. A high school athlete that turned down a few small school scholarship offers to do junior college and walk on somewhere bigger, Banda found himself working as a bartender while taking classes in San Antonio and staying in football shape by playing in amateur leagues. In 2007, Banda finally got his chance when Incarnate Word created a football program. He walked on at 25 years old, but since he wasn’t on scholarship, he had to continue bartending.

Unfortunately, a knee injury ended any hopes of a playing career for Banda. Still, he refused to give up on his football dream, working as a student assistant for the Cardinals in San Antonio while finishing his degree. He earned a graduate assistant position at the University of Texas on the recommendation of an Incarnate Word coach who had been hired by the Longhorns. In Austin, he met then-defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, another upstart coach who came to football after jobs outside of the sport.

He stayed at Texas for three years, even after Diaz was fired, coaching with the program through the transition from Mack Brown to Charlie Strong. Diaz bounced back in 2015 getting hired as the defensive coordinator at Mississippi State, and Banda joined him in Starkville as a defensive quality control coach. When Diaz was poached by Mark Richt to serve as defensive coordinator in Coral Gables, Banda got his first position coaching job as Miami’s safeties coach.

After three years and sending players like Rayshawn Jenkins, Jaquan Johnson, and Sheldrick Redwine to the NFL, Banda was promoted to co-defensive coordinator of the Hurricanes as Diaz took over the head coaching gig. In 2021, Banda finally parted ways with Diaz, taking the defensive coordinator and safeties coach job at Utah State. He held the role for two years before earning his first NFL job under Jim Schwartz in Cleveland.

In Banda’s two years in Cleveland, the Browns finished first in passing defense in 2023 and 12th this season. He’s managed an impressive safeties group over that time with Grant Delpit leading the group while Ronnie Hickman and Rodney McLeod have filled in for injuries here and there to the other starter, Juan Thornhill.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard has been quoted as valuing a more aggressive approach on defense, per ESPN’s Stephen Holder, something that is likely to affect the team’s coordinator search. According to Mike Chappell of FOX59/CBS4 Sports, the team has also announced that defensive backs coach Ron Milus and linebackers coach Richard Smith will not be returning to the staff in 2025.

With this note, while Banda will be interviewing for the coordinator position, this visit could also serve as an interview for the open defensive backs coaching job, should he fall short. Regardless, the 43-year-old is moving quickly through the coaching ranks of the sport and is a name to watch in the years to come.

Titans Request GM Interviews With Ed Dodds, Reggie McKenzie, John Spytek

January 10th, 2025 at 10:30am CST by Nikhil Mehta

JANUARY 10: McKenzie is likely to receive considerable support for the GM role, Dianna Russini of The Athletic notes. He may be the favorite at this point in the process, although things could of course change over the coming days as interviews take place.

JANUARY 8: The Titans are casting their net far and wide in search of their next general manager, adding three more interviews to their list on Wednesday.

The latest candidates are Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds (per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero), Dolphins senior personnel executive Reggie McKenzie (per ESPN’s Turron Davenport), and Buccaneers assistant GM John Spytek (per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times).

[RELATED: Titans Begin GM Search With Three Requests]

Dodds has worked under Colts GM Chris Ballard since 2017. He began his NFL front office career as a scouting intern for the then-Oakland Raiders in 2003. That led to a scouting gig in Seattle, where Dodds finished as a senior personnel executive after nearly a decade. He then started as vice president of player personnel in Indianapolis before receiving a promotion to assistant GM in 2018. The Colts have hit on a number of first- and second-round picks in Dodds’ tenure, including Quenton Nelson and Shaquille Leonard in 2018 and Michael Pittman Jr. and Jonathan Taylor in 2020, but they have struggled to consistently find talent in the later rounds.

McKenzie is a former NFL linebacker who retired from playing in 1992. He briefly coached at the University of Tennessee before landing a scouting job with the Packers. McKenzie stayed in Green Bay for almost 20 years, eventually rising to director of football operations in 2008. The Packers won two Super Bowls in McKenzie’s tenure, which also included the 2005 draft selection of Aaron Rodgers.

McKenzie was then hired to turn around an expensive, underperforming Raiders roster as GM. He hit on Derek Carr, Khalil Mack, and Amari Cooper in back-to-back drafts but struggled to find and retain talent in subsequent years amid interference from new owner Mark Davis and his handpicked head coach, Jon Gruden. McKenzie was fired during the 2018 season and joined the Dolphins a few months later. Miami’s next three drafts all yielded several future starters, including Tua Tagovailoa and Jaylen Waddle, though the team is still chasing their first AFC East title since 2008.

Spytek spent time with the Lions, Eagles, Browns, and Broncos – primarily as a scout – before arriving in Tampa Bay in 2016. The Buccaneers have been one of the most successful front offices in the last decade under GM Jason Licht, who has consistently hit on draft picks and free agent signings. Tampa Bay won Super Bowl LV after successfully engineering the acquisition of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski during the 2020 offseason and has won four straight division titles since. The Buccaneers’ drafts under Spytek have been littered with success, particularly at offensive line.

The Titans’ search is being overseen by president of football operations Chad Brinker, whose football experience stands in contrast to some of Tennessee’s other business-focused executives. He has ties to Chiefs assistant GM Mike Borgonzi, Packers VP of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan, and Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, all of whom could be candidates for the Titans’ GM job.

Brinker may also look for familiarity with head coach Brian Callahan, in which case a Bengals executive like Mike Potts, Trey Brown, or Steve Radicevic could be considered, according to Breer.

Coaching Notes: Bears, Jaguars, Allen, Patriots, Lake

January 9th, 2025 at 3:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

GM-centric workflow models are more common in the modern NFL than those that start with head coaches, though some teams still have their sideline leaders atop the personnel pyramid. The Bears are not one of them, and it does not sound like they intend to change that after this search concludes. Chairman George McCaskey confirmed (via the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs) the team’s next HC will still report to GM Ryan Poles, who will report to president Kevin Warren.

This will close the door on a coach power play or a change in which both the Bears’ HC and GM would report to Warren. The top-down model being non-negotiable could affect the franchise’s search to some degree, though the Bears have used this setup for a while. Additionally, the Bears’ first round of interviews will be entirely virtual, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. This applies to unattached coaches, who are not bound by league rules mandating virtual meetings before January 20, the day after the divisional round wraps.

Here is the latest from the coaching carousel:

  • A Monday report did not make it clear if the Patriots would fire Alex Van Pelt along with Jerod Mayo, but the veteran OC apparently told friends shortly after the Bills matchup he and the HC were each fired, the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin notes. This is not yet official, but coordinator statuses can go quiet as teams search for new HCs. Mayo had criticized Van Pelt during the season, leading to hot seat rumors. But the play-caller had drawn praise for his work with Drake Maye. The Patriots should expect plenty of staff turnover, the Globe’s Nicole Yang adds. That is generally the norm, but the Pats retained several staffers following their Bill Belichick-to-Mayo transition.
  • Ben Johnson is set to go through a four-pack of interviews between Friday and Saturday, as summits with the Patriots, Raiders (both Friday) and Bears and Jaguars (Saturday) loom. Buzz around the league points to Johnson being intrigued by the Jacksonville job, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes, but the in-demand assistant might want his own GM. The Lions’ OC has been notoriously picky when it comes to a job, and although more noise has come about him taking one during this cycle, Trent Baalke being retained could throw a wrench into the Jags’ process. It would seem unlikely if the Jags allowed Baalke to remain GM if Johnson preferred that not remain the case, and a Wednesday report indicated the team could be open to kicking Baalke to another role. That said, Fowler adds some among the Jags are skeptical a coach could run a power play to boot Baalke from his four-year post.
  • Not much has come out about Dennis Allen‘s future post-New Orleans, but the recently fired Saints leader may have another DC chance again soon. The Colts have come up as an interested party, Fowler adds, noting the three-year Saints HC should be a candidate for the Indy DC job. The team has yet to conduct an interview, but Allen has been either a head coach or DC for most of the past 14 years. The Saints had played well defensively leading up to this season, with Allen at the helm when the team repaired a porous unit in the late 2010s.
  • No Falcons coordinator changes have come out, but some in the league are keeping an eye on their DC situation, Fowler notes. Raheem Morris did not definitively endorse Jimmy Lake for a second year. Morris brought the former Washington Huskies HC with him from the Rams’ staff, doing the same with OC Zac Robinson. After improving under one-and-done DC Ryan Nielsen, the Falcons dropped to 23rd in scoring defense and yards allowed under Lake, a first-time NFL coordinator.

Lou Anarumo, Steve Wilks Expected To Interview For Colts’ DC Job

January 9th, 2025 at 9:59am CST by Sam Robinson

Highly regarded in his Bengals DC post heading into this season, Lou Anarumo saw his pieces unravel during a disastrous slate for the unit. As a result, a firing took place. But the veteran defensive leader might not be out of work long.

One of the other teams with an early DC vacancy has contacted him. The Colts want to meet with Anarumo to replace Gus Bradley, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The Colts also have Steve Wilks on their radar. Both candidates will be among those expected to interview, with the meetings on tap for next week.

The Colts booted Bradley after three seasons; Anarumo lasted six in that chair with the Bengals. The former Dolphins assistant had interviewed for multiple HC jobs during his time in Cincinnati, meeting with the Cardinals in 2023 and Giants in 2022. Anarumo was not a popular HC candidate, however, as those were the only two known meetings to have taken place. But the veteran assistant proved valuable for the Bengals during their run of back-to-back AFC championship game appearances.

Anarumo, 58, devised a sound plan to cool off a then-elite Chiefs offense to help the Bengals complete a comeback that produced the franchise’s first Super Bowl berth in 33 years. The team could not stave off a gimpy Patrick Mahomes the following January, but that 2022 Cincy unit ranked sixth in scoring defense — by far the team’s best finish under Anarumo. Even though Anarumo’s unit sank to 25th this season, it would stand to reason other DC-needy teams — once they choose HCs — will be interested in meeting with the veteran coordinator.

Wilks did not coach in the NFL this season, but his 2023 work as the 49ers’ DC aged fairly well after San Francisco opted for another change on that side of the ball this week. San Francisco plummeted from third to 29th in scoring defense this season. While the team’s defense showed cracks late in the 2023 season — culminating in a walk-off Chiefs TD to seal Super Bowl LVIII — Wilks’ unit still allowed just one touchdown drive beyond 16 yards that night.

Wilks also impressed as the Panthers’ interim coach in 2022, rallying the team to a 6-6 finish after a 1-4 start. He still lost out to ex-Colts HC Frank Reich in 2023, with Carolina intent on hiring an offense-oriented candidate. That season went much better than his 2018 one-off as Cardinals HC, which produced a discrimination lawsuit — the Brian Flores-led measure — that is ongoing.

2025 NFL General Manager Search Tracker

January 8th, 2025 at 6:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans and Raiders again became part of a GM carousel in the 2020s. Tennessee canned its front office boss after two seasons, while Las Vegas moved on after one. These two joined the Jets, and after two-plus offseason weeks, the Jaguars followed suit by firing Trent Baalke. Here is how the three AFC teams’ searches look thus far. If other teams make changes atop their front offices, they will be added to the list.

Updated 1-22-25 (10:09pm CT)

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Jets

Tennessee Titans

Colts Open To Adding QB To Compete With Anthony Richardson

January 8th, 2025 at 12:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the Colts are readying to run back their Anthony Richardson plan for 2025, it would seem the team would need better insurance based on the events of this season.

Becoming one of just seven QBs to complete less than 50% of his passes (minimum 200 attempts) in the 21st century, Richardson sported the lowest completion percentage by an NFL starter since Tim Tebow‘s 2011 showing. The 2023 No. 4 overall pick connected on just 47.7% of his throws, an untenable rate at this level. The Colts, however, are staying the course with both Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen. This figures to buy Richardson more time.

Displaying top-shelf athleticism, Richardson has battled concerns about his work ethic and has regressed in the passing game. The talented runner received Jim Irsay‘s support to be a Week 1 starter in 2023, but Ballard later said he wished the team did not play the one-year Florida starter at all as a rookie. Richardson playing in 2023 led to a season-ending shoulder injury, one of a few ailments the 6-foot-4 pro has dealt with, and the Colts benched him midway through this season. These developments raise the stakes for Richardson in 2025.

Steichen said this week he is open to a scenario in which the Colts add a passer who competes with Richardson for the job (via the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson), indicating he would discuss that prospect with Ballard. Considering Richardson’s form this season and the Colts’ HC-GM duo’s seat temperatures rising, it would be surprising if the Colts did not at least sign a high-end backup option in free agency.

Richardson not making significant progress next season will intensify calls for Ballard and Steichen’s jobs, as this front office will be on the hook for a draft blunder. The Colts had committed to finding a rookie answer after seeing a host of veterans not adequately replace Andrew Luck. The best of those options, Philip Rivers, retired after one season, leading to the Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan one-offs. Richardson has proven far less capable as a passer than either, his penchant for splashy downfield strikes (on occasion, that is) notwithstanding.

Joe Flacco wants to play an age-40 season, but he is not a realistic option to push Richardson for a starting job. Justin Fields might end up being too costly, but if the Steelers sour on Russell Wilson after a sluggish stretch run, the 36-year-old passer could be in the Colts’ price range. A Fields-Richardson competition, if the current Steeler backup’s market does not take off, would be an interesting skillset mashup, however.

Daniel Jones is also coming off a six-year starter run and would be a bridge option. The Colts also talked to UFA-to-be Jameis Winston before trading for Ryan in 2022. Kirk Cousins may remind of Ryan at this stage of his career, but he should still have a market. His days of commanding high salaries are likely over, though, and the Falcons will be on the hook for much of his 2025 salary. This creates a situation in which Cousins could follow Wilson’s path and sign for the veteran minimum, as Atlanta pays the bulk of his salary.

Beyond those potential starters, a host of backup types are set to be available. Old friend Jacoby Brissett looks on track to leave the Patriots, while Jimmy Garoppolo, Andy Dalton and Case Keenum check in as proven backups. Two of Fields’ 2021 first-round peers — Zach Wilson and Trey Lance — would not be startable options, though Mac Jones could conceivably make a case as a low-end bridge after showing some flashes after Trevor Lawrence‘s injury. Gardner Minshew, the player who filled this role to modest success in 2023, figures to be available again soon — once the Raiders cut bait — as well. The Colts had expressed interest in keeping Minshew but saw his Raiders offer exceed their comfort zone.

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/7/25

January 7th, 2025 at 8:39pm CST by Ben Levine

Many teams have started signing players to reserve/futures contracts, allowing the organization to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players through the offseason. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts:

Arizona Cardinals

  • DE Anthony Goodlow, OL Sincere Haynesworth, RB Zonovan Knight, NT P.J. Mustipher

Atlanta Falcons

  • WR Makai Polk

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

  • TE Jordan Murray

Cincinnati Bengals

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

  • DL Tyler Manoa

Miami Dolphins

San Francisco 49ers

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