NFL free agency kicks off next week and teams will be working with a salary cap of $182.5 million for the 2021 season, an 8% decrease from the $198.2 million cap in 2020. The cap has risen every year since 2011, but the reduced revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic forced a drop for next season.
That drop should make for a pretty entertaining few weeks as teams try to get below the cap before the start of the new league year on Wednesday. Teams are permitted to start contract negotiations Monday with agents of players who will be free agents and teams can sign players beginning at 4 p.