The salary cap increased to $224.8 million for the 2023 season.
For some teams, the slight increase in cap space provides a little breathing room to retain players on expiring deals or acquire talent that could help them succeed in the upcoming season.
Other teams see hardly any relief, and one of the primary reasons is because of dead money against the salary cap. While NFL teams may trade or release players, there isn’t exactly a free lunch as teams may still owe money on the contract — hence the “dead money,” even though the player is with a new team.
Here is a look at the teams that owe the most to least dead money ahead of free agency. All salary cap figures are via Over The Cap.
Most dead money: DT Fletcher Cox ($15,359,292)
Most dead money: LB Cory Littleton ($9,986,000)
Most dead money: RB Christian McCaffrey $18,352,250
Most dead money: DE Robert Quinn ($13,233,520)
Most dead money: DE Dee Ford ($8,589,999)
Most dead money: S Adrian Amos ($7,950,000)
Most dead money: CB William Jackson ($9,000,000)
Most dead money: LB Deion Jones ($12,140,784)
Most dead money: WR Julio Jones ($8,400,000)
Most dead money: DE Jordan Phillips ($5,904,334)
Most dead money: RT La’el Collins ($8,384,029)
Most dead money: WR Sterling Shepard ($4,245,000)
Most dead money: DT Stephon Tuitt ($4,755,000)
Most dead money: DE Akiem Hicks ($4,903,295)
Most dead money: $7,500,000
Most dead money: $5,976,667
Most dead money: DE Carlos Dunlap ($4,200,000)
Most dead money: TE Nick Boyle ($3,315,000)
Most dead money: S Malcolm Jenkins ($3,950,000)
Most dead money: LT Andrew Whitworth ($2,000,000)
Most dead money: CB Patrick Peterson, OT Jesse Davis ($750,000 apiece)
Most dead money: RB Nyheim Hines ($3,000,000)
Most dead money: OT Eric Fisher ($1,991,112)
Most dead money: DE Jacob Martin ($2,310,000)
Most dead money: TE O.J. Howard ($625,000)
Most dead money: DT Mike Purcell ($774,168)
Most dead money: WR Laviska Shenault ($789,285)
Most dead money: CB Justin Bethel ($333,334)
Most dead money: DT Ross Blacklock ($834,991)
Most dead money: DT Tyler Shelvin ($368,280)
Most dead money: RB Larry Rountree ($87,880)
Most dead money: CB Nazeeh Johnson ($57,756)