NFL salary cap could rise to $281.5M in 2025
The NFL informed teams that the salary cap will fall in the range of $277.5 million to $281.5 million for the 2025 season, according to a league memo sent Wednesday and obtained by ESPN's Dan Graziano.
That means the cap will rise by at least $22.1 million from last year's $255.4-million mark. The cap has increased by more than $53 million over the past two years.
| Salary cap | Year |
|---|---|
| $277.5M-$281.5M | 2025 |
| $255.4M | 2024 |
| $224.8M | 2023 |
| $208.2M | 2022 |
| $182.5M | 2021 |
| $198.2M | 2020 |
The memo noted that the 2024 cap was reduced by $10 million due to a $9-million smoothing adjustment and a $1-million increase in performance-based pay, per Graziano.
The salary cap is based on a percentage of the league's various projected revenue streams for the coming season. That figure is divided equally between all 32 teams, and then every team deducts the same amount to cover the cost of player benefits (including performance-based pay and retirement benefits) to determine how much it can spend on player salaries.
The NFL Players Association hasn't told the league how it plans to handle the deferral for the 2025 season. The union has the right to add up to 50% of the $9 million to the cap, with the remainder recovered in 2026.
The NFL plans to finalize the player cost and salary cap by next week but noted the cap range could change based on further negotiations with the NFLPA.