It’s time for our annual explanation on how the 89% cash spending rule works, and where the Cleveland Browns fall. First, if you’ve been following this feature for several years, note that the Browns and all 32 teams in the NFL were compliant for the first four-year period of the rule, which was from 2013-2016. Last year began the second four-year period of the rule, which runs from 2017-2020.
Here is an infographic that the NFLPA released at the end of February, showing each club’s official cash spend for the 2017 season.
The minimum spending requirement from 2017-2020 will be the cumulative amount of whatever the salary cap is set at each year, an amount that one can only estimate at this point in time.