NFL franchises have exhibited an increased willingness in recent years to release underperforming, highly-paid players while swallowing “dead money” on their payroll, as the salary cap has increased by at least $10 million each year since 2012. There are currently 23 players whose cap holds account for at least $5 million on each of their former teams' payrolls. There were 20 such players the last time I ranked the biggest dead money hits in 2015.
The drag of dead money on a team’s salary cap may never be heavier than it will be next year, however, when the cap is expected to drop for the first time since 2011 due to the coronavirus pandemic.