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.
Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: DT Fletcher Cox ($15,359,292)
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: LB Cory Littleton ($9,986,000)
(Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports)
Most dead money: RB Christian McCaffrey $18,352,250
(AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)
Most dead money: DE Robert Quinn ($13,233,520)
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: DE Dee Ford ($8,589,999)
Wm. Glasheen-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: S Adrian Amos ($7,950,000)
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: CB William Jackson ($9,000,000)
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: LB Deion Jones ($12,140,784)
Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com-USA TODAY NETWORK
Most dead money: WR Julio Jones ($8,400,000)
Billy Hardiman-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: DE Jordan Phillips ($5,904,334)
(AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)
Most dead money: RT La’el Collins ($8,384,029)
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: WR Sterling Shepard ($4,245,000)
(Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Most dead money: DT Stephon Tuitt ($4,755,000)
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: DE Akiem Hicks ($4,903,295)
Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: $7,500,000
(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Most dead money: $5,976,667
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: DE Carlos Dunlap ($4,200,000)
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: TE Nick Boyle ($3,315,000)
Sep 8, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles strong safety Malcolm Jenkins (27) walks off the field after warmups against the Washington Redskins at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: S Malcolm Jenkins ($3,950,000)
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: LT Andrew Whitworth ($2,000,000)
(Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
Most dead money: CB Patrick Peterson, OT Jesse Davis ($750,000 apiece)
(AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Most dead money: RB Nyheim Hines ($3,000,000)
Robert Scheer/IndyStar-USA TODAY NETWORK
Most dead money: OT Eric Fisher ($1,991,112)
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: DE Jacob Martin ($2,310,000)
(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
Most dead money: TE O.J. Howard ($625,000)
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: DT Mike Purcell ($774,168)
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: WR Laviska Shenault ($789,285)
Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: CB Justin Bethel ($333,334)
Bob Self/Florida Times-Union-USA TODAY NETWORK
Most dead money: DT Ross Blacklock ($834,991)
John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: DT Tyler Shelvin ($368,280)
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: RB Larry Rountree ($87,880)
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Most dead money: CB Nazeeh Johnson ($57,756)
