DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum NFL Salary Cap To Take Another Big Leap in 2025

The league office informed teams of the expected salary cap range for 2025 on Wednesday, with a larger-than-expected jump from $255.4 million to somewhere between $277.5 million and $281.5 million

NFL teams, particularly those dealing with tight salary cap restrictions, got some good news on Wednesday. The league's per-team salary cap is about to make another big jump forward in 2025.

The league has informed team officials that the cap limit in 2025 will fall between $277.5 million and $281.5 million per team, a significant increase from last year's figure of $255.4 million. This is the second larger-than-expected increase in a row, as the cap limit has grown more than $53 million since 2023. Prior to the league's reveal on Wednesday, the 2025 cap was widely expected to fall in the $265-$275 million range.

There are currently seven teams that have projected 2025 cap hits over the limit, according to Spotrac, which has been using an estimated cap limit of $275 million. The New Orleans Saints top that list at more than $51 million over. Those teams will have to restructure some contracts and/or release some players to be compliant with the cap limit by the start of the NFL's new league year on March 12, but Wednesday's news at least makes that task a little bit easier.

The Buccaneers are listed as having close to $5.7 million of cap space to start the 2025 season, as the roster is currently constructed. They will be dealing with a list of 22 potential unrestricted free agents, a group headed by standout wide receiver Chris Godwin, ageless linebacker Lavonte David and starting left guard Ben Bredeson. The Buccaneers and Godwin recently agreed to move the date of the automatic voiding of his 2025 contract to March 12 in order to extend the negotiating period on a potential new deal.

https://www.buccaneers.com/news/nfl-salary-cap-take-another-big-leap-2025

#caphell

Here is a list of the salary cap standings currently going into the 2025 season without figuring in the upcoming raise to the salary cap. As of now, before the rise in the salary cap, the Browns stand at a negative $32,778,205 above the salary cap.

Salary Cap Space

https://overthecap.com/salary-cap-space

Even with the rise in the salary cap the Browns will still be well over the salary cap. If that actually means anything to you.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but if the Browns pursue the insurance claim on Watson's 2025 salary, then that will pay them cash back but will NOT impact Watson's hit on the salary cap.

The only way they can positively impact Watson's salary cap hit is if they restructure again or there's a massive development in one of his ongoing issues and they are able to void some/all of his contract due to breach.

That's my understanding but I'm not sure on that.

That is a good question

My understanding is that it will impact watson's cap hit but next year, not this year

I'm of the understanding in can impact both this year and next.

So it's settled. We can all agree that none of us has any real knowledge of the cap implications

Wait till they hear the rumor in a couple years the cap could explode again due to accurate streaming numbers…

The Cleveland Browns are casting serious doubt on the timetable of quarterback Deshaun Watson after he re-ruptured his Achilles while rehabbing at his home in Miami.

This means their massive $230 million investment likely never takes another snap again in the brown and orange and potentially ever in the NFL. The good news for the Browns, however, is that they had Watson’s contract insured in case the quarterback had to miss significant time due to injury or suspension.

They received some relief this past season for his time missed in 2023, they’ll receive some relief in 2025 for the time he missed this year, and they will see almost his entire salary covered by insurance if Watson cannot take the field at all in 2025.

The Browns have $44.3 million of Watson’s $46 million base salary covered by insurance.

Yes, this means that the Browns will see $44.3 million put back into their cap space. However, this policy would not be cashed out until after the 2025 season, so the Browns would see that total recouped in their 2026 cap space.

After his latest contract restructure, the Browns are on a timeline to cut Watson with a post-June 1 designation after the 2026 season, so expect that money to be rolled over when they do collect it to completely wash out the dead cap burden of $35 million in 2027 and still have some cash left over to spend from the insurance payment.

https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2025/01/10/browns-deshaun-watson-contract-insurance-meaning/

So just a straight forward question.

Given GM's article above. And assuming in 2027 CLE takes a $35m cap hit on DW. . . . does that not matter? Or would that cap allowence be better spent on signing talent on the roster and high quality FA players of need?

It seems such an obvious answer to me but it seems that some people who want to believe Berry is a Cap savant is able to manage these contracts and it has zero impact on the team we field on Sundays.

Nice, informative post to the thread.

I don't know how in depth the projections go but the added space of that size is welcomed. Any way we cut it, it mitigates our cap situation. We were bound to cut a few players no matter the cap situation.

I think sometimes we lose sight of the cap going up and just focus on the number over and start to panic over how many players we will have to cut. I don't know that we will have to cut anybody we don't want to cut. The money will be tight but we will have the ability to get done what we need to get done.

We still may not be able to trade Myles before the June 1 deadline. That might not be feasible from a cap standpoint. I don't like the idea of pushing everything in to next year if we trade Myles. I'd want to get a plug and play player for this year in addition to whatever else next year.

So for us dummies who are also operating on minimal sleep this morning.


We get no relief this coming season, but...

we get all the relief (most likely given what we're hearing about the injury as well as assumption of Watson being cut after the 2025 season) next year.


So we the strategy is we have to "survive" the cap this year and then after we're kinda home free because that albatross contract will be dealt with.

2025 is a rebuild year whether we, or our FO, wants to admit it. We need to get younger and just play these guys and let the chips fall where they may. Don’t expect anything but improvement from the first game to the last. That will be progress in itself. 2025 will be a year of trial and error, assimilation for new players in our system and development for 2026. These are realistic goals. I wouldn’t expect us to win more than 5 games probably less. If we do we could put ourselves in position for another high pick in’26 and possibly a FQB.

Think we could be getting some this season, too. Not a ton, but "up to $13.9M." link

What this actually boils down to for the upcoming season is that the Browns will be able to cover a lot of their dead money with the salary cap increase while other teams will be able to use the salary cap increase to improve their rosters.

The Browns will cut/trade some players that do not fit in their plans, renegotiate contracts of players that fit in there plans to free more cap space in 2025, they will sign some free agents I do not expect a splashy huge free agent signing but some solid starter type players to 1-year deals and maybe 1 or 2 decent free agents to back loaded 2 to 3 year deals. The biggest off-season additions besides a bridge QB will be drafted players for the most part.

So other teams won't be doing those same things? The rules work the same for all 32 NFL teams. AB doesn't have some advantage over the other 31. The only real difference is the Browns are almost 33 million dollars in the hole to start off with.

Yes, they will be doing those same things as long as their owner is willing to sign checks for more signing bonuses to renegotiate contracts. No, it is much less than that after yesterday. I believe they are around 23 or 24 million over the cap and will be able to apply around 13 million of insurance money from Watson missing games in 2024 to the cap in 2025 so around 10 million over. Then they will start the process I described.

I understand the compliant that Mr. Haslam has spent all that money, and his return has been 2 trips to the playoffs but most recently 3-14 season. But we have an owner willing to spend. Most of the time we are complaining that our owner is tight and unwilling to spend. That is not the case with the Browns we complain that he spends and uses the cap to its fullest.

The cap restricts what you can spend. You can spend it if you want to kick the can down the road but the bill always comes due.

I'm certainly no expert on when that insurance money will work but from what was posted on this very board as being factual, none of that will apply until the 2026 season unless you have information to the contrary.

No matter how it is sliced or spun, the Browns are are just short of 33 million dollars above the salary cap before the raise in the cap hits. Any team that is even or below the current cap has at least 33 million dollar head start on getting talent for the 2025 season.

Being hopeful about the abilities of AB and pretending others can't do the very same things he does is what has gotten us to the point they are now. If some wish to continue down that path so be it. They have very right to. But math shows me we are way behind many other teams going into the 2025 season and this salary cap situation is only going to help make that divide even wider.

People need to consider that when the salary cap goes up so do the price of player contracts. And that works for all player contracts from the bottom up. Every roster goes through major player turnover from season to season. And every player the Browns replace will cost more than the players that just left if they are the same level of player. So you either sign lesser players to replace them or pay a lot more than you did to sign your former players.

Neither of which looks attractive.

If Watson does not play in 2025 the Browns insurance policy, they can claim will get them around 44 million back in the 2026 cap space. They also insured the 2023 season and the 2024 season. They got $$ back for last year's cap because of his should injury that caused him to miss games in 2023 and they are expected to get around 13 million of insurance money back from the games he missed in 2024 for the cap this year in 2025.

It was announced yesterday that the cap went up so instead of being 33 million over the cap the Browns are now around 24 million over the cap with the $ from Watson's 2024 season insurance claim still needing applied and they will be around 10 million over. Then they will cut and trade players that they decided don't fit into their plans and then restructure those that do and kick the can for those players down the road. The expectation is they will get to around 40 million under to sign some free agents and their draft class.

Yes, the entire situation would look much better if the team was 14-3 instead of 3-14 but none the less, they are not in cap hell and if they choses to try to win they have the ability to try. Will they we will see in 2025. The chicken littles that cry salary cap and dead cap space don't understand as longs the cap goes up and as long as the team decides they feel they can be competitive they can continue. Now if they chose to start over, they could do that as well. Same way. They would just be cutting and trading more players and accumulating more draft picks in the process. I think if 2025 does not work that will be the course of action in 2026. Watson's insurance money will cover quite a bit of the remaining dead cap on some older players. If that was to happen the Browns would be picking high again in 2026 and they will not hesitate to trade Garrett and Ward. Then they will cut Watson post June 1, 2026. This season they will keep the band back together 1 more year at least try to fix the run game and get a bridge QB to run a professional organization. If that works, then build upon that. As long as the cap does not go down like it did in 2020 with covid the team will be fine. Be happy you have an owner that is willing to spend. I am sure Berry and Stefanski hear it from him often about return on his investment.

You do understand that what you posted really doesn't change anything don't you? Any way you slice it no matter how much cap relief the Browns get so do the other 31 NFL teams. If they are at the cap limit they receive all of that cap money above the cap limit while the Browns are still below the cap level. 33 million over the cap limit now means that any team at or above the cap limit is 33 million ahead of the Browns.

I didn't say they were in cap hell. I'm saying their ability to sign FA's will be severely restricted compared to teams that aren't over the cap already. And that's a very large margin. We lost out on our last three first round draft picks and now we are in a situation that will leave themselves cash strapped compared to teams already below the cap. Many of these teams already far ahead of us.

With you being a fiscal conservative I would have though you of all people would understand this team has been traveling down a road that was unsustainable.

You may want to look at what the increased salaries of resigning some of those current players about to hit the FA market will cost before you go making claims about "keeping the band together".

The plan is to dump Watson after June 1st 2026 stay tuned.

9-days left before the Browns must be cap compliant. The Browns are currently ($22,814,016) over the cap.

Berry has stated that Watson would not be restructured in 2025 even though a max restructure would free up $35,796,000 in cap making the Browns cap compliant with a $12,981,984 surplus for team use after March 12th. However, a max restructure requires the approval of the player most likely through his agent. Maybe, Watson has already rejected the restructure idea.

Other possible moves:

The Browns only have 3 players worth max restructures left on the roster. As with Watson, each of these max restructures would require player and ultimately agents' approval and have serious drawbacks.

Conklin - max restructure would free up $9,558,750 in 2025 cap. Issues: Conklin has missed 33 games in the last 4-years. He only has 2-years left on his contract which would add a 3rd void year to his deal. Considering what Berry is doing to Garrett mainly because his prorated bonus structure IMHO, another year voided on Conklin would basically eliminate any chance of being traded and he'll have to play out his deal. Most likely won't approve a max restructure.

Ward - max restructure would free up $9,165,750 in 2025 cap space. Issues: Ward has already stated that if Garrett leaves, he'll strongly consider leaving. Approving a max restructure would not be in Ward's best interest if he's a wait and see on Garrett. He absolutely would not want to add additional dead money tied to the team making trading him impossible. Approving a max restructure would not be in Ward's best interest.

Pocic - max restructure would free up $3,303,750 in 2025 cap space. Issues: actually, none as far as Pocic is concerned since he is in the final year of his contract. It will add void years to his deal and if he leaves in FA next March 2026, the Browns will have a $4,368,000 dead money cap charge for 2026. Just kicking the can down the road.

The only other significant move would be to trade Newsome and his $13,000,000 guaranteed 5th year option contract. That would immediately free up $13,000,000 in cap space if they can find a willing trade partner.

If you don't believe that Berry is in trouble with the cap - the numbers say differently. Heck, he can't even trade players without costing the team 10's of millions in dead cap.

We'll know a lot more over these next 9-days.

When has Berry stated he will not restructure Watson this year? Berry has always stated he does not publicly discuss contracts. A maximum restructure is only used when looking to renegotiate a contract to extend the contract terms or add void years. I'm 100% confident Berry will use a simple restructure like he has always done with Watson and restructure his deal to free up cap space. He does not have much other choice. Simple restructures do not require the players approval. Also, who would turn down a massive paycheck all at once?

Simple restructures can be used on other players as well.

One thing I do believe is that the Browns were counting on Myles Garrett to sign a massive long term contract and use the maximum restructure to free up a bunch of cap space this year. Garrett not willing to sign a new deal becomes another issue for Berry to navigate regarding the cap.

I do.

Thanks to Jack Duffin LOL

I don't doubt he will try. But that doesn't mean watson will agree to restructuring. It takes both parties to make that happen. Not saying watson won't restructure. But it's not a simple as.... it will happen the way AB wants it to.

The key element is Berry can restructure w/o Watson needing to approve anything when doing that type of restructuring.

Actually, Berry could. You're not changing what or when Watson is getting paid. You're just changing when that $ counts against your salary cap. Watson's name will be on the Browns salary cap easily until 2030. Watson the player will be shown the door June 1st, 2026.

He can restructure it based on the time restraints of the existing contract which is two more years. . He can't move DW's salary into years he is not under contract without DW approving.

A simple restructure does not require permission or an agreement from the player and/or his agent.

They would need Watson's permission on a maximum restructure. The Browns have always done a simple restructure with Watson.

So you're saying what I just said then.

From my post above..............

Think he already agreed to void years since the original. Not sure whether the team can push more into them without Watson's approval or not.

Actually, it is 3 more years since Berry added a year to his deal in December I believe. If Berry wants to extend the prorate into a void year that has no money in it, Berry would have to have Watson's and/or his agents' approval. Keep in mind that in either case, Watson's dead cap money for 2026 will go from $99,596,678 to $128,233,470. Furthermore, a simple max spreads the cost over 3 years instead of 5. That means Watson's prorated signing bonus for 2025 of $26,732,678 already will increase to $38,664,745 thus reducing the cap savings for 2025.

That said, and believe what you want, I find it amazing that people are so sure Watson is going to be cut in 2026 when he will have $128,233,470 in dead cap due whether pre or post June 1 cut yet the Browns cannot afford to trade Garrett because of his $36M dead cap. I'll be waiting on pins and needles to see how Berry finds $128,233,470 in cap space even with the supposed insurance payout.

I can't really say for sure myself. What I based it in on was the difference between how the NFL defines as a simple restructure and a maximum restructure.....

Yes, a team can usually restructure a player's contract without their explicit agreement, especially for simple restructures that involve converting portions of their salary into prorated signing bonuses, as most contracts include clauses allowing for this type of unilateral action by the team; however, for more significant changes or "maximum restructures," player consent is typically required as it is considered a renegotiation of the contract.

That's the AI overview.

This is an explanation from Over the Cap.....

Restructure Potential

A tool that teams have to create cap space in the current or upcoming league year is restructuring, the conversion of scheduled payments such as base salary or roster bonuses into signing bonuses that are prorated equally across the length of the contract, over a maximum of five years. This graph and table illustrates the potential that each team has to create 2025 cap space with restructuring.

There are two types of restructuring:

A simple restructure converts payments into prorated signing bonuses within the confines of the remainder of the contract. Teams typically have the ability to unilaterally execute simple restructures without any action necessary from the player.

A maximum restructure increases the amount of cap space via conversion into prorated signing bonuses by either extending the contract or by adding void years to a contract, years that do not extend the contract but are only used as placeholders for the proration. Maximum restructures are typically considered a renegotiation of the contract that requires the player's consent to execute.

https://overthecap.com/restructure

Duffin Explains it well...

https://247sports.com/nfl/cleveland...mean-for-the-cleveland-browns-243038565/

I say this again.

If the cap goes up the players salary demands will almost immediately follow with and eat up the increased salary cap. So in the end this’s just a numbers propaganda by Andrew Berry to install some sort of blind belief among season ticket holders that everything is fine despite almost nothing has changed.