The NFL has delivered a little bit of good news to teams across the league this morning. The 2021 salary cap will not hit the negotiated floor agreed upon last summer amid the COVID-19 pandemic: $175M. And while we still do not know what the league’s cap will actually be for the 2021 season, what we do know is the floor is now $5M higher for the upcoming season than the worst case scenario.
The NFL provided all 32 teams with a memorandum this morning to inform teams that the league’s cap floor has risen by $5M.
NFL informed teams today the salary cap this season will be a minimum of $180 million.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 18, 2021
For the Dolphins, this formally provides a confirmed bit of spending power and wiggle room — as the team is among the top quarter of the league in cap space as things currently stand. Miami’s flexibility in free agency will likely still be dependent on the team moving around some cash and also providing some players with their walking papers ahead of or at the start of the league’s calendar year next month.
But at the very least, there’s some peace of mind to know that a $175M cap isn’t happening.
“As you know, one aspect of the agreements negotiated last summer with the NFLPA to address operations during the pandemic provides that the 2021 Salary Cap will be no less than $175 million. Following discussions with the union that addressed both the actual 2020 revenues and projected attendance for the 2021 season, we have agreed to increase the minimum Salary Cap for the 2021 League Year to $180 million.
This is not the final Salary Cap for the 2021 League Year , which will be set following the review of final 2020 revenue figures and other audit and accounting adjustments. This agreement simply increases the minimum 2021 Salary Cap by $5 million per club, from $175 million to $180 million.
We will promptly advise all clubs as soon as the Salary Cap is set.”