With the NFL’s rising revenues, the league is expected to increase the salary cap for each NFL franchise by $10-15 million for 2025.
The NFL capped each organization’s salary limit to roughly $255 million in 2024, meaning that franchises could expect as much as a $270 million cap for the 2025 regular season.
Cleveland will be able to add an impressive amount to that figure according to analyst Jason Fitzgerald.
On Friday, Fitzgerald shared that the Browns will carry over $41.9 million in cap space for the 2025 salary cap, the second-highest amount in the NFL.
Here is a look at how much cap space each team will carry over to 2025. The 49ers lead the way with about $50M while the Jets have little to aid the 2025 cap.https://t.co/1QcMYgQ672
— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) January 10, 2025
The San Francisco 49ers led the way with over $50 million in cap being carried over into the 2025 season.
Cleveland was able to achieve this impressive mark by restructuring contracts in 2024, according to Fitzgerald.
“The Browns were 2nd with $41.951 million and they led the NFL in restructured contracts in 2024 for the same reason as the 49ers,” Fitzgerald explained.
Analyst Daniel Oyefusi noted why the Browns had so much cap space cleared in 2024, pointing to one contract restructure in particular.
Most of the carryover is coming from turning Watson’s 2025 base salary to a bonus and spreading it out. A few more cuts and restructures, which could include converting Watson’s ‘26 salary to a bonus, and the Browns will have more than enough space to make moves in free agency. https://t.co/CSjH49ZDNJ
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) January 10, 2025
The Browns restructured Deshaun Watson’s contract, helping the team to clear significant salary cap room in 2024 that will now be carried into the next season.
No other team in the AFC North achieved anything close to the Browns’ cap carryover.
The Pittsburgh Steelers led the Browns’ division rivals, rolling over $6.8 million in salary cap space.
Cincinnati carried over $5.9 million while Baltimore added only $2.1 million in salary cap space for the 2025 season.
The New York Jets had the smallest carryover for 2025, adding just $345,919 to their 2025 salary cap figure.
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