The NFL salary cap continues to go up with all 32 teams set to work with $224.8 million in 2023.
However, not every team will start out with the same amount of breathing room.
Every NFL team has to be under the salary cap by the start of the new league year in March. For some franchises, they will easily be able to walk under the limit. Other teams will have to limbo their way under the cap.
Here is a look at the salary cap space for all 32 NFL teams following the Super Bowl. All figures are from Spotrac unless otherwise noted.
1. Chicago Bears ($98,656,266)
How can you not put together a dominant team around a talented quarterback on a rookie contract? Throw in Chicago has the No. 1 overall pick — that they don’t have to use on a quarterback — and Matt Eberflus should have the Monsters of the Midway resurrected in no time.
2. Atlanta Falcons ($51,158,608)
With how wide open the NFC South is, the Falcons should look into adding impactful free agents who can push the team back to the top of the division.
3. New York Giants ($49,355,971)
Will the Giants try to keep both Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley? What if defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale had a few more pieces to scheme with?
4. Houston Texans ($37,121,466)
Their No. 2 overall pick is most likely going to be used on a quarterback, which means their salary cap space ought to go towards bringing in productive veterans.
5. Cincinnati Bengals ($34,229,599)
Do the Bengals go cheap because Joe Burrow’s extension is inevitable, or do they spend some of that cap space to return to the Super Bowl?
6. Seattle Seahawks ($31,343,071)
The Seahawks weren’t expected to make the playoffs. At best, it was supposed to be like 2011 when they finished 7-9 with Tavaris Jackson under center. Instead Seattle showed that Pete Carroll still has it. The Seahawks can use the space to add more weapons offensively.
7. New England Patriots ($30,248,722)
The Patriots are in a good spot to reclaim the AFC East as they have a decent quarterback under rookie contract and that much salary cap space.
8. Baltimore Ravens ($27,831,873)
The Ravens should use their extra space to work out a contract extension with Lamar Jackson and get it over with. Otherwise they will have to eat the same dollar amount franchise-tagging him for 2023.
9. Las Vegas Raiders ($17,499,005)
According to Over The Cap, the Raiders take a dead money hit against their salary cap at $5,625,000 if they cut quarterback Derek Carr. However, they save $29,250,000.
10. Detroit Lions ($15,854,119)
The Lions have done a fabulous job drafting well and playing hard for Dan Campbell that they can still do a little damage with this much salary cap space.
11. Arizona Cardinals ($13,467,247)
It is all committed to Kyler Murray. DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, and Zach Ertz are all still under contract with Arizona. A new coach should at least be able to get the offense back on track for 2023, even with that salary cap space.
12. Kansas City Chiefs ($11,046,422)
They won. Do they use that salary cap space to keep receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster?
13. Indianapolis Colts ($5,891,512)
The Colts (the organization) has a little salary cap space to sign hold-the-fort free agents in the post Jeff Saturday era. Indianapolis’ biggest issue is quarterback, although the No. 4 overall pick is a big piece in solving that problem.
14. San Francisco 49ers ($3,627,380)
The 49ers should be able to exercise some contract triggers to create salary cap space. Regardless of whether they pick Trey Lance or Brock Purdy, they have their next signal caller on a favorable rookie deal.
15. Denver Broncos ($2,710,090)
That the Broncos have any cap space following their king’s ransom to acquire and retain Russell Wilson is actually impressive.
16. Washington Commanders ($1,480,714)
Maybe this is why they want to give Sam Howell a shot in 2023.
17. Philadelphia Eagles ($-3,257,840)
General manager Howie Roseman risked it to get the Eagles in the Big Game, and they were a field goal short from having it all payoff huge.
18. New York Jets ($-3,805,607)
The rest of the team is seemingly there; all that is missing is a quarterback. If the Jets just fix their problems under center, the lack of cap space shouldn’t be a hindrance to 2023 success.
19. Pittsburgh Steelers ($-4,288,887)
One of the best ways to ride out a team’s salary cap space issues is to have a decent quarterback on a rookie contract.
20. Dallas Cowboys ($-9,852,887)
The Cowboys have potential outs with the contracts of running back Ezekiel Elliott and left tackle Tyron Smith. The Cowboys offense may look a little different by the fall.
21. Carolina Panthers ($-10,312,644)
The Panthers are in rebuild mode. The question of “how long will it take” is connected to the success of their ability to draft a young quarterback.
22. Miami Dolphins ($-12,780,861)
Much like the Bengals, the Dolphins are getting near to an inevitable extension for their 2020 first-round quarterback. Will the Dolphins work with Tua Tagovailoa this offseason to broker a deal and free up salary cap space?
23. Los Angeles Rams ($-16,522,453)
General manager Les Snead kept selling the Rams’ draft picks thinking the devil would never collect, but Los Angeles is firmly in salary cap Hell coming off a 5-12 campaign. Snead has been creative before, and certainly he can navigate the straits and get the Rams out of it.
24. Cleveland Browns ($-18,888,417)
Cleveland sold out at quarterback. In a manner of speaking, the Chiefs proved in the Super Bowl what having the best in the game can do. The Browns don’t have that guy, and it impacts the front office’s ability to surround their franchise quarterback with adequate talent — kind of like what happened with his original draft team.
25. Buffalo Bills ($-21,261,462)
The Bills are all-in with Josh Allen. One of the conundrums of the current collective bargaining agreement is that once a team has a franchise quarterback, his contract can take larger portions of the pie that normally would be used to surround him with weapons or defensive complements. Buffalo is entering that territory, which means their drafting has to pick it up.
26. Los Angeles Chargers ($-22,042,446)
The Chargers have actually sold out while they have Herbert on a rookie contract. Like with Burrow and Tagovailoa, his extension is inevitable and Los Angeles will have to determine whether they go conservative now or load up.
27. Minnesota Vikings ($-22,579,469)
The Vikings had a tremendous opportunity in 2022 and let it slip. Minnesota may have to make tough decisions to get under the cap, which will challenge Kevin O’Connell’s coaching.
28. Green Bay Packers ($-25,049,478)
What is the number the Packers are projected over the salary cap?
Culver’s menu items for $200.
29. Tennessee Titans ($-28,187,933)
Can new offensive coordinator Tim Kelly do something about the salary cap space, too?
30. Jacksonville Jaguars ($-35,531,191)
There are NFL teams that would gladly go $35 million over the budget if it meant they got Trevor Lawrence under contract through the 2024 season with a fifth-year option to boot.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($-57,964,949)
Tampa Bay’s salary cap overlap in numerology spells the word “rebuild.”
32. New Orleans Saints ($-59,631,434)
No wonder Sean Payton wanted to go to Denver.
