New NFL Team Salary Cap Sets New Record 
NFL Free Agency and Trading Deadline Starts March 12, 2025
‘Word on the Street’
Frank Coyle / Head scout
www.draftinsiders.com
NFL teams now have a reference point when it comes to how much money they will have to spend when the new league year officially begins on March 12.
The NFL league office informed teams this week that the salary cap for the 2025 season will fall in the range of $277.5 million and $281.5 million. That’s a huge increase from last year’s salary cap of $255.4 million and an amazing $53 million the past two seasons from the 2023 salary cap of $224.8 million.
The salary cap, which actually decreased in 2021 due to the impacts of COVID-19, crossed the $200 million mark for the first time in 2022. This year’s cap could end up being $100 million more than it was in 2021, when the cap was $182.5 million.
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Recent NFL Salary Cap by Year
Year Salary Cap
2025 $277.5 million-$281.5 million
2024 $255.4 million
2023 $224.8 million
2022 $208.2 million
2021 $182.5 million
2020 $198.2 million
2019 $188.2 million
2018 $177.2 million
2017 $167 million
2016 $155.27 million
The NFL has seen the salary cap increase significantly, primarily through the most recent TV rights deals with broadcast partners. Last year’s $30 million salary cap increase was the result of the full repayment of all amounts advanced by NFL teams and deferred by the players during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as a massive increase in media revenue for the 2024 season, according to the league’s operations site. The Thursday night game has generated huge dollars as part of the Amazon Prime addition. The players received a significant piece of new revenue and have benefitted immensely from the new revenue sharing by the players union.
Both NFL Free agency and the trading period starts on March 12th, the first day of the new NFL calendar. The trade market may be equally busy this year with several high-profile players demanding deals – wideout Deebo Samuel and edge defender Myles Garrett. In addition, a few star QBs, Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford and Kurt Cousins will be part of decisions in several NFL front offices as the QB carousel begins this offseason. Expect numerous big names exchanging teams with salary cap numbers determining which veterans remain with their current roster.
