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The NFL Has Officially Set The Salary Cap For 2025

Originally posted on The Spun | By Kameron Duncan | Last updated Feb 27, 2025 1:35 PM ET

Football is the biggest sport in America, and its impact is felt throughout several levels of the game. It begins in youth football and through high school, where players learn technique before separating themselves through talent, effort and determination.

College allows players to cash in on their hard work through NIL, but the true life-changing money comes after they've entered the NFL. The league continues to do well, and that success is set to trickle down to the players.

The league is increasing its salary cap to $279.2 million per team, an increase of $23.8 million over the previous record.

The 2025 NFL salary cap is set: It's going to be $279.2M, an increase of $23.8M from last year. pic.twitter.com/wlmpGxLLZ5
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 27, 2025

The NFL's broadcasting agreements and sponsorships make up the majority of the increased cap, showing just how profitable the league's strategy has been for growing the game. The NFL can be watched over the air, on streaming and on cable television, getting games in front of as many people as possible, no matter where they are.

The salary cap has almost doubled since 2019, when it sat at $188 million. The cap has increased by over $50 million in the past two years alone, and by over $100 million in the last decade.

The extra money will give certain teams more flexibility in the free agency market, allowing them to go after players they otherwise would not have been able to pursue, sign or in some cases keep.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 16: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones talk on the field prior to a game between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at AT&T Stadium on January 16, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

Additional money for all 32 teams could also help teams move assets in a trade. Taking on a contract is easier and less of an overall risk when you have more cap room to make other moves in the offseason.

Some teams, like the Cincinnati Bengals, could have an easier time paying a player like Tee Higgins. Higgins played under the franchise tag last year while the team was unable to find agreeable terms for a long-term deal. Higgins will be free to sign with any team, but the Bengals making a pitch that doesn't have to have a hometown discount increases the likelihood of signing him.

We'll see how the salary cap increase affects the offseason, as teams around the league get ready for the scouting combine, free agency and in April, the NFL Draft.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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