The NFL has two different salary cap benefits that allow teams to retain veteran players while minimizing their impact against the team’s cap: the Veteran Salary Benefit (VSB) and the Four-Year Qualifying Contract (4YQC). In 2025, the Buffalo Bills have made smart use of both in order to sign three players to the roster.
Let’s break down what each benefit entails — and how they were applied to Damar Hamlin, Laviska Shenault Jr., and Darrick Forrest.
NFL Veteran Salary Benefit (VSB)
The VSB allows a team to sign a veteran (any player with four or more credited seasons) to a one-year deal at the minimum base salary for their accrued seasons, while including up to $167,500 in bonus money (signing bonus, roster bonus, or incentives).