The N.F.L. determined the salary cap for the 2021 season, saying each team will have $182.5 million to spend on player payroll, nearly 8 percent less than in 2020, when revenues were cleaved by the coronavirus pandemic. The salary cap was $198.2 million in 2020.
A decline in the maximum amount available for teams to spend on player salaries and bonuses was expected, but it was less severe than anticipated. Still, N.F.L. franchises will have nearly $16 million less than they did last year to pay players, which is sure to distort how general managers allocate their more limited funds.