How These 4 NFL Teams Can Escape from Salary-Cap Hell in 2021

The cap-space tightrope NFL teams walk—especially contenders—should prove more interesting than usual this offseason.

Given the unorthodox 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic, the NFL's salary cap could see a reduction in response to revenue losses.

That would be especially problematic for teams already in financial trouble before any cutbacks. With the agreed cap floor of $175 million, a handful of teams have a staggering negative cap balance of at least $20 million, and one even sits at $96 million over the cap. Only one, the Green Bay Packers, has an easy single move that will make things easier (restructuring Aaron Rodgers' deal). 

Let's look at the teams most in the red and figure out how their front offices can manage the dramatic balance sheets.

Pittsburgh Steelers

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Much of the Pittsburgh Steelers' cap fate hinges on Ben Roethlisberger.

The franchise passer features a $41.3 million cap hit in 2021 and a $22.3 million dead-cap number. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Big Ben intends to play next season, though his age (38) could mean otherwise.

Either way, the Steelers have a projected negative cap balance of $21.1 million. That's fixable through a combination of cuts and extensions.

On the cut front, it would make sense to show the door to tight end Eric Ebron ($6 million in savings), tight end Vance McDonald ($5.2 million) and linebacker Vince Williams ($4 million). For extensions, guard David DeCastro ($14.3 million cap hit in 2021) and even center Maurkice Pouncey ($14.5 million) could clear plenty in cap savings.

Pittsburgh, like the Eagles, has a manageable situation that looks intimidating but shouldn't be, provided some creative contract management.

Atlanta Falcons

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The Atlanta Falcons' current roster build just hasn't worked.

The Dan Quinn era ended prematurely for the Falcons, but cap ramifications remain a hurdle. The team sits projected at $24.5 million over the cap in 2021.

That's highlighted by Matt Ryan's $40.9 million cap hit (never mind the nearly $50 million dead-cap number). He's one of five Falcons players with a cap hit of at least $18.6 million next season.

The solution could be predictable cuts of names like defensive back Ricardo Allen (cap savings of $6.3 million) and defensive lineman Allen Bailey ($4.5 million). It could also mean restructures for Ryan and the other four in his price bracket, like Grady Jarett and Julio Jones.

With a new general manager and head coach inbound, other overhauls like trades and surprise releases remain on the table. But the Falcons don't have a reason to panic despite the projected cap balance given the options available to them.

Philadelphia Eagles

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The Philadelphia Eagles are one of the more interesting teams in cap purgatory this offseason because of the bad play under center.

The Eagles project to be $64.5 million over the cap, and the underperforming Carson Wentz checks in at a cap hit of $34.7 million and a staggering dead-cap number of $59.2 million. He's one of 12 players with a double-digit cap hit.

Luckily for the Eagles, changes independent of Wentz can fix the problem. The wideout room needs an overhaul, so cutting and/or trading DeSean Jackson (roughly $5 million in savings) and Alshon Jeffery ($8 million) makes sense.

Derek Barnett is a good example to look at too. His fifth-year option worth $10 million isn't guaranteed. Cutting him works, but so would extending him to lessen the 2021 cap hit. Extensions for Zach Ertz ($12.5 million cap hit in 2021) and Fletcher Cox ($23.9 million) could also dramatically reduce the year's cap hits.

The Eagles have often used restructures to push back cap hits, like they did with Brandon Graham in January. He's a candidate to do it again, as are plenty of others.

Either way, Philadelphia's front office has a history of navigating murky waters such as these and coming out fine.

New Orleans Saints

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To say the New Orleans Saints went all-in during what could be Drew Brees' final year is an understatement.

The Saints have the least projected cap space in 2021 at minus-$96.4 million.

Even if Brees decides to hang up the cleats, that only removes his $36.2 million cap hit. That's the team high, but it doesn't clear the Saints of major cap damage. And if he doesn't retire and they release him, that's only $13.5 million in savings thanks to the dead money on the contract.

Some names feel like obvious cuts to inch closer to balancing the cap. Linebacker Kwon Alexander ($13.4 million in savings) and cornerback Janoris Jenkins ($7 million) come to mind as win-now pieces who could go with the post-Brees window closed.

Even then, it's hard to see how the Saints can wiggle out of this predicament. Restructures for big names like Cameron Jordan ($18.9 million cap hit in 2021) that roll back cap hits to later years would work. Ditto for names like Taysom Hill ($16.2 million) and Ryan Ramczyk ($11 million), and they could try to trade someone like wideout Emmanuel Sanders to spur another $6 million in savings. 

There's no ideal route, but that's the cost of going all-in and then entering a year in which the cap number doesn't escalate as usual.