By Sunday 
How the League’s Salary Cap Boost Impacts America’s Team
The Dallas Cowboys’ financial situation heading into the 2025 season just got a little less stressful—at least on paper. The NFL has confirmed a significant increase in the salary cap, giving teams more room to maneuver. However, for Dallas, this windfall doesn’t erase their financial challenges.
NFL’s 2025 Salary Cap Surge
Every year since the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL salary cap has been on an upward trend. In 2021, it stood at $182.5 million—a rare drop due to the pandemic’s impact on league revenue. Since then, however, the cap has climbed rapidly:
- 2022: $208.2 million
- 2023: $224.8 million
- 2024: $255.4 million
Now, for 2025, the league has informed teams that the salary cap will fall somewhere between $277.5 million and $281.5 million, surpassing previous projections.
Where Do the Cowboys Stand?
With this new cap range, salary cap experts estimate Dallas will have approximately $2.5 million in available cap space when the new league year begins on March 12. That’s a small cushion, but a crucial one—previous estimates had them operating in the red under a lower projected cap of $272.5 million.
The extra breathing room prevents immediate forced restructures or player cuts, a scenario teams desperately try to avoid. If a franchise is over the cap when the league year starts, the NFL will automatically remove players from the roster until compliance is met.
How Dallas Can Create More Space
While $2.5 million in cap space isn’t much, the Cowboys have options. Through contract restructures, player releases, or other cap maneuvers, they could free up $60-$100 million if necessary. The question is: Will they use that flexibility to sign impact players?
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has been known to take a conservative approach in free agency, preferring to retain homegrown talent rather than making splashy outside signings. Whether that trend continues remains to be seen.
For now, though, thanks to the NFL’s higher-than-expected salary cap, Dallas heads into 2025 with a bit more time—and a bit more breathing room—to get their financial house in order.