2021 Salary Cap Expected To Be Around $185M

Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that the NFL and NFLPA began preliminary negotiations last month regarding the 2021 salary cap.

According to Pelissero, some team officials believe the cap will ultimately end closer to $185 million per club, and possibly higher than the $175 million minimum the sides agreed to last summer before the start of the 2020 season. 

Pelissero says the NFL has yet to provide teams with their annual cap projection and hasn’t committed to how they would spread out the impact of the multibillion-dollar revenue shortfall in 2020 over the next few years.

Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said earlier in the week that teams may not have a final salary cap figure until “hours before the start of the league year” March 17.

Even so, Pelissero writes that it’s more realistically NFL teams may find out the number just days before the free-agent negotiating period begins March 15 after the NFL and NFLPA are able to assess the climate and budget for the impact of at least one new media deal.

A new media contract would have to be finalized before the NFL officially adds a 17th game to the regular season in 2021.

Pelissero adds that some teams had some local revenue streams in 2020, but they’re unlikely to be enough to have a big impact on the 2021 salary cap. 

Even if the cap ends up at or around $185 million per year, there’s going to be a cap crunch this offseason that will likely result in some notable cap casualties. Beyond that, it could make for a tough free agent market. 

We’ll have more regarding the salary cap as the news is available.