2023 NFL Cap Space, By Team
Earlier this week, the NFL unveiled its salary cap for 2023. Teams can now budget for their offseasons knowing that a cap of $224.8 million is in place. This year’s non-exclusive franchise and transition numbers have also emerged, giving teams more clarity on those fronts as well. With that in mind, here’s where each team stands in terms of cap space:
Chicago Bears: $90.91M Atlanta Falcons: $56.42M New York Giants: $44.28M Houston Texans: $37.56M Cincinnati Bengals: $35.55M New England Patriots: $32.71M Seattle Seahawks: $31.04M Baltimore Ravens: $26.87M Las Vegas Raiders: $19.78M Arizona Cardinals: $14.47M Kansas City Chiefs: $13.96M Detroit Lions: $13.83M Indianapolis Colts: $12.59M Denver Broncos: $9.07M San Francisco 49ers: $8.28M Washington Commanders: $8.24M Philadelphia Eagles: $4.24M Pittsburgh Steelers: $1.03M New York Jets: $1.31 MM over cap Dallas Cowboys: $7.18 million over Carolina Panthers: $8.94 million over Los Angeles Rams: $14.19 million over Cleveland Browns: $14.64 million Miami Dolphins: $16.45 million Green Bay Packers: $16.48 million Buffalo Bills: $17.88 million Los Angeles Chargers: $20.38 million on Jacksonville the Jaguars: $22.35 million on Minnesota Vikings: $23.43 million on Tennessee Titans: $23.67 million on Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $55.03 million on New Orleans Saints: 60.47 million dollars on
Those numbers (courtesy of OverTheCap) are going to change drastically in the coming weeks, but that’s where every team stands before Super Bowl LVII. After this point, loss cap reductions may begin to take place. Restructures, expansions and swaps will also begin, with the Saints in recent years doing well to prove that there are a few roads to limit compliance.
While New Orleans is in its usual spot in February, the team was actually further than the 2021 and 22 caps at this point in the NFL schedule. Using blank years to load its roster during Tom Brady’s three-year stint, Tampa Bay saw much of that bill come due. If Brady doesn’t re-sign a procedural agreement, which would allow the Buccaneers to distribute his dead money, the team will be hit with a $35.1 million charge this year.
The Browns have led the league by a wide cap carry margin from 2022, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. Cleveland reported more than $27.6 million in cap space. The Browns have paced the league in cap space throughout the 2022 season, preparing for the peak of Deshaun Watson’s contract. Effective immediately, Watson’s cap will increase from $9.4 million to $54.9 million. No NFL player has ever played a season with a cap above $45 million.
The Panthers, Broncos, Bears and Raiders round out the top five in carryover dollars, ranging from $10.8 million to $6.7 million. Chicago ate considerable dead money via Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn trades. The rebuilding team still pays most of Quinn’s salary, doing so in order to get a better draft pick from the Eagles. The Bears will have every opportunity to bolster their roster in Ryan Poles’ second year in charge, leading the league by a massive margin and holding the No. 1 overall pick. The Falcons still have more than $12 million in dead money from Deion Jones on their 2023 payroll, but the team is clear of Matt Ryan’s record hit ($40 million).
Baltimore will have a major decision to make in the coming weeks. General manager Eric DeCosta said he hasn’t decided whether the team will place the exclusive or non-exclusive tag on Lamar Jackson. Even the non-exclusive number — $32.42 million — will dramatically change the Ravens’ pre-free agency budget. The exclusive tag, which prevents other teams from submitting an offer sheet to Jackson, is expected to come in at just north of $45 million.