In baseball, we’ve heard a lot of talk about the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox “buying’’ championships. They simply outspend the competition and win. You don’t hear nearly as much about buying championships in the NFL.
That’s because there’s a hard salary cap and, relatively speaking, there’s not a great deal of difference in how much teams spend. But this year is different. This year, either the Kansas City Chiefs or San Francisco 49ers will come close to buying a championship.
The Chiefs and 49ers made it to the Super Bowl by spending big in the 2019 season. Neither was at the top but they were close to it. At the end of the season, the Chiefs had spent $203 million in cap space. Only the Jacksonville Jaguars spent more. The 49ers weren’t far behind at $189.1. The 2020 cap is expected to be right around $200 million.
Let’s delve more closely into how the Chiefs and 49ers spent in 2019 and how they’ll spend going forward.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
The Chiefs are incredibly lucky that Patrick Mahomes is still in his rookie contract. That makes the reigning MVP a bargain by any means. Mahomes counted just $4.4 million against the cap. That allowed the Chiefs to spend heavily at receiver and defensive line.
The story could be the same in 2020 because Mahomes is scheduled to count $5.2 million against the cap. But that could change dramatically because Mahomes now is eligible for a contract extension that will break the bank. Mahomes could become the first player to earn $40 million per season. The Chiefs would be wise to sign him immediately because the market for quarterbacks is only going to continue to climb. The Chiefs already have $188 million committed to the 2020 cap and that’s with only 47 players under contract.
Veterans Terrell Suggs and LeSean McCoy headline a list of veteran free agents that almost certainly will not return. Others will be asked to restructure their contracts, likely starting with receiver Tyreek Hill, who has a $17.65 million cap figure.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Just think back to general manager John Lynch’s playing career for a look at how and why his roster and money is allocated. Lynch played on those great Tampa Bay defenses of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Those teams were built around the defensive line (Warren Sapp and Simeon Rice). Lynch is taking the same approach in San Francisco with $50.1 million allocated toward the cap. You can’t argue with that thinking because the defense is the main reason the 49ers are in the Super Bowl.
But Lynch’s 49ers have a better offense than the Bucs of their glory years. That’s because Lynch isn’t afraid to spend money on offense. He has $50 million dedicated to quarterbacks and running backs and $30 million to the offensive line.
However, there is potential cap trouble brewing in San Francisco. Tight end George Kittle is looking for a contract extension and it will be a large one. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk, cornerback Jason Verrett and tight end Garrett Celek are potential free agents and probably will be allowed to walk.
The league likes to talk about how its salary cap creates parity. There’s some truth in that. But not this year. The Chiefs and 49ers have shown that spending lots of money can get you to the Super Bowl.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.