NFL, NFLPA agree to 2022 salary cap ceiling of $208.2 million

Last year we had a floor for the salary cap, this year we have a ceiling.

The NFL and NFLPA have agreed upon a salary cap ceiling for the 2022 NFL season.

The 2021 NFL salary cap was set at $182.5 million. In 2022, the salary cap will grow no higher than $208.2 million according to a recent report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. If they hit the agreed-upon ceiling, that’s a jump of $25.2 million in the 2022 salary cap.

Last year, the NFL and NFLPA agreed to a salary cap floor, this time around they’re putting a hard limit on how much the cap will be able to grow for 2022. That’s because the COVID-19 pandemic caused a revenue shortfall in 2020 and ownership agreed to spread that out over the course of several years. This ceiling of $208.2 million will help make up for that revenue shortfall.

The final salary cap number will not be agreed upon until early next year after 2021 revenue numbers come in. The final salary cap number could fall at or anywhere below that $208.2 million mark, but it really all depends on the 2021 revenue numbers. With most stadiums set to open at 100% capacity to start the 2021 NFL season, I’d expect that revenue numbers should be looking much better for the NFL this season.

If they do hit the salary cap ceiling for 2022, the Chiefs would be projected to have just under $20 million in cap space as things currently stand without any restructures, cuts, extensions or salary cap rollover. That’s a good spot to be in for Brett Veach and the front office.

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