NFL Teams' Updated Salary Cap for 2025 Ahead of Preseason Action

Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions will be a pivotal point on the 2025 NFL calendar. It will officially mark the end of early training camps and the start of the preseason.

The Hall of Fame Game will be followed by three weeks of exhibition play, leading up to cut-down day. On August 26, teams will have to trim rosters from 90 to 53 players. That means that the next few weeks will be all about evaluating and finalizing depth charts for the regular season.

This doesn't mean, however, that teams are done adding players. Some very good veterans remain unsigned, and several more will hit the market after final cuts. A few more will ultimately be traded before they're outright released.

Which teams have the most financial flexibility heading into the preseason? Which are most likely to try shedding salary? Let's take a look.

Updated NFL Salary Cap Picture

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Patriots VP of player personnel Eliot Wolf

New England Patriots $60 million

Detroit Lions $51.4 million

Cincinnati Bengals $47.9 million

San Francisco 49ers $47.6 million

Las Vegas Raiders $38.2 million

Arizona Cardinals $37.9 million

Tennessee Titans $35.4 million

Seattle Seahawks $35.2 million

New York Jets $34.2 million

Pittsburgh Steelers $34 million

Dallas Cowboys $32.2 million

Los Angeles Chargers $32 million

Green Bay Packers $31.3 million

Philadelphia Eagles $30.8 million

Tampa Bay Buccaneers $29.4 million

Denver Broncos $26.6 million

Minnesota Vikings $25.7 million

New Orleans Saints $22.8 million

Cleveland Browns $22 million

Washington Commanders $22 million

Carolina Panthers $20.5 million

Los Angeles Rams $20 million

Indianapolis Colts $19.8 million

Jacksonville Jaguars $19.3 million

Baltimore Ravens $17.5 million

Kansas City Chiefs $17.4 million

Chicago Bears $13.8 million

Miami Dolphins $12.3 million

Houston Texans $11 million

Atlanta Falcons $5.3 million

New York Giants $4 million

Buffalo Bills -$740,208

*Cap information via Sptorac.

Overview

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Steelers LB T.J. Watt

We've seen a few recent developments that have impacted some salary cap situations. The Pittsburgh Steelers, for example, finally agreed to a new three-year, $123 million extension with star pass-rusher T.J. Watt that will make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in league history.

On Monday, the Denver Broncos and receiver Courtland Sutton agreed to a new four-year, $92 million extension.

Other deals are likely to occur between now and the end of the preseason. The Cincinnati Bengals, for example, haven't reached a new agreement with reigning sacks leader Trey Hendrickson. However, the standout pass-rusher did finally report to camp.

"According to a source, Hendrickson's impending arrival serves as a good faith gesture to spark negotiations with the team," ESPN's Ben Baby wrote on Tuesday.

We may see top unsigned free agents like Justin Simmons, Keenan Allen. Amari Cooper, Brandon Scherff and Asante Samuel Jr. sign before the end of the preseason too.

Now, the raw numbers might suggest that several teams have the financial flexibility to make multiple moves before the start of the regular season. However, it's important to note that franchises are still working under the top-51 rule.

During the offseason, only the top 51 contracts on a team's payroll count against a team's salary cap. This means that a full 90-player roster has 39 contracts that aren't considered. It also means that many franchises have the freedom to swap low-level contracts in and out at will.

If a player is added to a roster and his contract value isn't among the top 51, he won't count against the offseason cap.

Beginning on August 26 at 4 p.m. ET, however, all players on the active roster will count against the base cap of $279.2 million. That could lead to some teams keeping the 53 most sensible contracts instead of the 53 best players.

According to Spotrac, the New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets are the only teams with their entire offseason rosters under the salary cap. They should have true flexibility when it comes to keeping and/or adding players in the coming weeks.

Conversely, the Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins are the most likely to part with players for purely financial reasons. Each possesses a 90-player roster that is more than $20 million over the cap.

The Cleveland Browns have the league's most expensive offseason roster at $342.5 million. Because Cleveland rolled over unused cap space from the 2024 season, however, it's in a very manageable situation entering the preseason.