By Blessing 
With free agency just about a month away, NFL teams are gearing up for the first major checkpoint in their offseason roster-building process. For many organizations, though, the focus leading up to the new league year will be on trimming payroll to get under the salary cap.
The 2025 salary cap is expected to land somewhere between $265 million and $275 million, giving teams a general benchmark as they finalize their financial strategies. Based on a projected cap of $272.5 million, here’s where all 32 teams currently stand, according to Over the Cap:
- Los Angeles Chargers: $63.41M
- Chicago Bears: $62.97M
- Minnesota Vikings: $58.01M
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $53.26M
- Cincinnati Bengals: $46.26M
- Detroit Lions: $45.69M
- San Francisco 49ers: $44.26M
- Tennessee Titans: $44.08M
- New York Giants: $43.38M
- Green Bay Packers: $42.14M
- Los Angeles Rams: $38.33M
- Denver Broncos: $34.78M
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $32.27M
- Indianapolis Colts: $28.25M
- Carolina Panthers: $20.33M
- Philadelphia Eagles: $18.08M
- New York Jets: $16.86M
- Baltimore Ravens: $5.96M
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $2.24M
- Houston Texans: $99K over the cap
- Kansas City Chiefs: $916K over
- Dallas Cowboys: $2.85M over
- Miami Dolphins: $5.44M over
- Atlanta Falcons: $11.15M over
- Seattle Seahawks: $13.46M over
- Buffalo Bills: $14.18M over
- Cleveland Browns: $30.17M over
- New Orleans Saints: $54.11M over
These numbers will shift as teams adjust to the final cap figure, but even with carryover savings factored in, over a quarter of the league must cut costs to comply with the cap by mid-March.
One team to watch closely is the New England Patriots, who lead the league in available cap space. Their approach to free agency has been a hot topic, especially after their conservative spending last year. Now, with Eliot Wolf running the front office and Mike Vrabel stepping in as head coach, it’ll be interesting to see if they take a more aggressive stance in 2025. One name that’s already linked to New England is Tee Higgins, who is expected to be the top wide receiver on the market.
Meanwhile, Higgins’ current team, the Cincinnati Bengals, has several major financial decisions to make. Locking up Ja’Marr Chase with a long-term extension is a top priority, along with securing a new contract for Trey Hendrickson, who is due for a raise. Quarterback Joe Burrow has already expressed a willingness to restructure his deal to create cap room, but Cincinnati may have to break from its usual contract practices to keep its core intact.
Another team undergoing a shift in approach is the Indianapolis Colts. In recent years, they’ve focused heavily on retaining their own players, but that strategy hasn’t delivered the desired results. General manager Chris Ballard recently acknowledged that a change in philosophy is needed. With a decent amount of cap flexibility, the Colts could make a play for mid-tier free agents to bolster their roster.
Over the next several weeks, expect plenty of contract restructures and extensions as teams work to create cap space. The Seattle Seahawks have already taken steps in that direction by restructuring Leonard Williams’ contract. Other teams, like the Pittsburgh Steelers, have started clearing room by releasing veterans—Preston Smith being one notable example. The Miami Dolphins have also begun trimming payroll, parting ways with players like Raheem Mostert, Kendall Fuller, and Durham Smythe.
For teams currently over the cap, the next month will be critical as they work to get their finances in order before free agency officially kicks off. Expect a wave of roster moves as franchises position themselves for one of the most pivotal periods of the NFL offseason.