Part of the NFL’s economic agreement with the players will likely include a salary cap minimum of just $175 million in 2021. Many factors will determine the final cap number next year, but a shrunken cap could really put the Green Bay Packers in a tough spot.
According to Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap, the Packers would have just $4.8 million in total cap space with a $175 million cap – and that factors in a full carryover amount from the 2020 cap. The Packers would be one of just 11 teams with $5 million or less in cap space.
Ken Ingalls expanded on the projection. Factoring in next year’s draft class and other cap-related expenditures would put the Packers well over the cap in 2021:
If the 2021 salary cap would fall to the bottom of the proposed limit of $175M, the Packers would currently be $7.9M over the 2021 cap, $13.7M over if you consider the draft and additional baseline signings. https://t.co/6mMGFNOzhd pic.twitter.com/vOhWLhseup
— Ken Ingalls – Packers Cap đź’° (@KenIngalls) July 24, 2020
All teams will feel the pinch of a shrunken cap, but the effect won’t be applied evenly, especially for teams with a bunch of money tied up in 2021 (like the Packers) or a lot of free agents in 2021 (like the Packers).
Both points are worth considering here. The Packers have roughly $182 million already committed to next year’s cap, and they have at least five players – left tackle David Bakhtiari, defensive lineman Kenny Clark, running back Aaron Jones, cornerback Kevin King and center Corey Linsley – that will require expensive new contracts to bring back.
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst and cap manager Russ Ball will have work to do to make the financials work while keeping core players in Green Bay. That was going to be true regardless of a shrunken cap. A significant reduction might only amplify the challenge.
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