It's the time of year for NFL salary cap math -- for cap cuts, restructures and wondering which teams have the room under the cap to make those big free agent signings we all love so much.
Some teams have loads of cap room to work with as we near free agency, while others have work to do just to get under the number before the league year starts March 12. But regardless of the situation, all 32 franchises have some form of salary cap questions over the coming weeks. So we looked at one cap-related question for every team as we get set for the combine to begin next week with free agency to follow.
How would trades of big-name stars like Myles Garrett, Deebo Samuel Sr. and Cooper Kupp impact their teams' dead money? What are the implications of the Jets moving on from Aaron Rodgers or the Falcons possibly doing so from Kirk Cousins? Could the Ravens and Chargers cut Mark Andrews and Joey Bosa, respectively? And will the Bengals be able to ink new deals for Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins? Let's get into all of that. (Note: The NFL on Wednesday informed teams that the salary cap for 2025 would be between $277.5 million and $281.5 million per franchise.)
Jump to:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
AFC EAST
Buffalo Bills
Are the Bills going to cut Von Miller?
That's the outcome that makes the most sense. Miller turns 36 next month and is under contract for three more years, but none of his remaining money is guaranteed. The Bills limited Miller's snap counts during the 2024 season thinking they would be able to use him more in the playoffs, but that didn't turn out to be the case; his snap counts in the playoff games against the Ravens (17) and Chiefs (16) were among his lowest of the season. Miller hasn't been the impact player Buffalo hoped he would be when it signed him, and the Bills would save $8.397 million against this year's salary cap by releasing him.
Miami Dolphins
Who will get contract extensions in Miami?
Miami has a lot of work to do to get under the 2025 salary cap (roughly $11.6 million over the cap at the moment, per Roster Management System), and releasing veterans such as RB Raheem Mostert and TE Durham Smythe won't get the team all the way there. The Dolphins' best bet is to figure out which of the extension-eligible players on their roster are worthy of new long-term commitments and reduce those players' 2025 cap numbers by extending their contracts. Candidates for cap-saving extensions include OT Terron Armstead, DL Jaelan Phillips, DE Bradley Chubb and LB Jordyn Brooks, among others.
New England Patriots
How will the Patriots spend their league-high cap room?
Depending on where the cap ultimately comes in, New England could have $120 million or more in cap space this offseason. That doesn't mean the Pats will spend it all, of course, but they do have a ton of roster needs and could be big players when the market opens.
The question is what the priorities will be this offseason, and while they're certainly in the market for WR upgrades and will be connected to Tee Higgins and others, they need a lot of work on their offensive and defensive lines. Are they better off trying to bring in an offensive lineman such as Kansas City's Trey Smith than a big-name WR? Or could they do both? Pay attention to what happens in New England as coach Mike Vrabel tries to turn this team around.
New York Jets
What will be the cap impact of moving on from Aaron Rodgers?
Due to leftover signing bonus proration from previous contracts and restructures, cutting Rodgers will result in $49 million worth of dead salary cap charges for the Jets. They could either take all of that this year and be done with it, or they could designate him a post-June 1 cut and take $14 million in dead cap charges this year and the remaining $35 million in 2026. If the Jets did the latter, they'd have to carry Rodgers' 2025 cap charge of $23.5 million on their budget until June 2, though he'd be free to sign with another team in the meantime.
If the Jets had decided to keep him this season and cut him next offseason, they would take on $63 million in dead money -- which makes moving on from Rodgers this offseason even more of a no-brainer. He threw 28 touchdown passes in 2024, but his 48.0 QBR ranked 25th in the league.
AFC NORTH
Baltimore Ravens
Is Mark Andrews really a cap cut candidate?
These things can be tricky, since you can take a cold, impartial look at Andrews' age (29) and his contract and say, "Yes, of course." But that doesn't always account for the relationship between the player and the team.
The tight end is set to make $11 million in 2025 -- a $4 million roster bonus due on March 17 and $7 million in salary. His salary cap number is $16.9 million, and because his salary is not guaranteed, the Ravens could save $11 million on this year's cap if they cut him before the roster bonus is due. Andrews will turn 30 in March, and there were stretches this past season when Isaiah Likely appeared to have surpassed him in the passing game hierarchy in Baltimore.
All of that said, Andrews has been one of the greatest and most reliable Ravens of the Lamar Jackson era (his most recent game notwithstanding), and there's a good chance he and the team come up with a way to stay together. He caught 11 touchdown passes in 2024.
Cincinnati Bengals
Can the Bengals actually afford to extend Ja'Marr Chase and re-sign Tee Higgins?
The short answer is yes, of course they can -- if that's what they want. There are only two teams right now that are paying two wide receivers each more than $25 million per year, but one of them just won the Super Bowl, so it's obviously possible to do it and still succeed (Miami joins Philly as the other team).
The Bengals' big problem might turn out to be their commitment to their contract structure principles -- specifically their rule against guaranteeing any money outside of the first year of the deal. They made an exception for quarterback Joe Burrow, but if Chase wants them to make another for him, this could drag on a while. And not knowing how the Chase situation will turn out could cost them Higgins in the meantime. Franchising Higgins for roughly $26 million isn't out of the question, even if it's just to hold onto him while they figure other things out.
Cleveland Browns
What would the Browns need to do to make a Myles Garrett trade work?
Basically just wait. If the Browns ever do get to the point where they decide to trade Garrett, the only way to make it work cap-wise is to do it after June 1. Unlike with a post-June 1 release -- where you can cut the player in March and designate him a post-June 1 release to help defray cap charges -- a trade actually has to happen after June 1 to allow you to split the cap charge over two years. Trading Garrett now would result in a dead money hit of more than $36 million, much higher than the roughly $19.7 million he'd count against the cap if he were on their 2025 roster.
Waiting until after the draft of course means they can't get 2025 draft picks in return for Garrett, but it's hard to see how they can afford to move him, take on $36 million-plus in dead money and operate the rest of their offseason.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Will the Steelers make T.J. Watt the NFL's highest-paid defensive player ... again?
There's one year left on the extension that Watt -- who had 11.5 sacks this past season -- signed prior to the 2021 season, which made him the highest-paid defensive player in the league at that time (around $28 million per year). The best way for the Steelers to knock down Watt's team-high $30.4 million cap number is to extend his contract.
But what does that extension look like, with Watt now 30 years old and in a market in which Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons could also want to set the top of the edge rusher market this offseason? The last Watt extension took until the day before the 2021 season started before it got finalized. (The current top of the market is $34 million annually, held by 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa.) Could this drag through the offseason?
AFC SOUTH
Houston Texans
Which Texans contracts could be restructured to make room for OL additions?
The Danielle Hunter and Nico Collins deals that were signed last offseason are built to be reworked, and simple restructures of those contracts could net the Texans nearly $22 million in cap space. And if they wanted to, they could get more than $10 million by restructuring Tytus Howard's deal, too, and nearly as much if they wanted to do a restructure of Laremy Tunsil's contract.
Those players represent the four biggest 2025 cap numbers on the team, so they're the easy targets for restructures that convert salary into signing bonus and buy Houston some cap room. They also could clear a bit with the expected extension for star cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.
Indianapolis Colts
Do the Colts have the means to make a run at Tee Higgins?
Sure. The Colts should be around the middle of the pack in terms of cap space (projected to be around $28 million by Roster Management System). They don't tend to use all of it in any one offseason, preferring to roll it over from year to year in case of unexpected needs. But if this is the way they wanted to go, they could absolutely make a run at Higgins.
The Michael Pittman Jr. extension (signed last offseason) isn't an impediment, either. Pittman's 2025 cap number is $23 million, but the guaranteed money on his contract runs out after this season. So the Colts could build a Higgins contract that pushes the bigger cap numbers into 2026 and beyond. Again, this is if Indianapolis wanted to do this -- pursuing Higgins on a big-money deal just doesn't feel like a move the Colts would make.
Jacksonville Jaguars
What are the odds the Jaguars will cut Christian Kirk?
Pretty high; I'll put it at 75%. Kirk has one year left on his contract and is scheduled to make $16.5 million in 2025, which is perfectly reasonable if he plays. (Remember how wild Kirk's $84 million deal seemed three years ago when he signed it?) But the receiver is also coming off a season-ending collarbone injury. The Jaguars have a new coach and offensive system, and they will have a new GM soon. Plus, they signed Gabe Davis last offseason, and Brian Thomas Jr. is coming off a brilliant rookie season that established him as the team's No. 1 wide receiver.
Tight end Evan Engram has been a productive pass catcher for the Jags and is due for a new deal. I doubt Jacksonville cuts both Kirk and Engram, but who knows? Again, there is a lot of "new" in this situation.
One other thing to watch: The Kirk contract is reasonable enough that the Jaguars might be able to get something for him in a trade if he's healthy.
Tennessee Titans
Could the Titans do what the Falcons did last spring -- draft a first-round quarterback and sign a free agent passer?
From a cap standpoint, sure. The Titans -- who hold the No. 1 pick in the draft -- can draft any QB they want, and if they don't think the guy will be ready to play right away, they could precede that decision by signing a bridge option such as Sam Darnold, Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers ... basically whomever.
Tennessee has a lot of needs to fill, but the cap number for a rookie quarterback selected first overall wouldn't be much more than $7 million, and whichever free agent the Titans sign in this scenario likely wouldn't command the $100 million in guaranteed money that Cousins got from the Falcons last year a month before they drafted Michael Penix Jr. This isn't the smartest way to go from a cap standpoint, but quarterback is a position that makes teams do weird things.
AFC WEST
Denver Broncos
Are the Broncos out of the dead-cap woods?
Not quite, but they're in much better shape than they were last year in terms of dead money. The Broncos' 2024 release of Russell Wilson resulted in $85 million in dead money cap charges, of which the Broncos opted to take $53 million last year and the remaining $32 million this year. So they're still stuck with that $32 million. But as of now -- with some veteran cuts still possible -- that's the only major dead money charge they have on their 2025 cap.
It's a much better situation than last year, when they were carrying multimillion dollar dead money charges for players such as Randy Gregory, Tim Patrick and Justin Simmons in addition to Wilson. Even if they make more cap cuts in the coming weeks, there's no way the Broncos will end up carrying anywhere near the $89 million in dead money they carried on their cap this past season.
Kansas City Chiefs
What are the cap implications if Travis Kelce retires?
Kelce's contract is built very conveniently at this point. It allows him and the team to go in any number of different directions. But there is a soft deadline of March 15 to do so.
Kelce is scheduled to earn $17 million this season. Of that, $4.5 million is salary, $11.5 million is a roster bonus due on the third day of the league year and the remaining $1 million is a roster bonus due on August 1. So if he's still on the roster on March 15 (third day of the league year) and decides to retire after that, the Chiefs would have already paid him $11.5 million to not play, and his 2025 dead cap number would rise from around $2.55 million to around $14 million.
That's why the Chiefs would like an answer from Kelce by the time that roster bonus is due. But it's important to mention this is one of the greatest players in franchise history and isn't likely to be shoved out the door over $11.5 million. It's entirely possible Kelce and the Chiefs could work something out, push back the roster bonus deadline, adjust the contract to make him a post-June 1 cut if he retires, etc. And if he decides to play again, that $17 million would be exactly what he earned in 2024 and probably wouldn't require any more adjustments.
Las Vegas Raiders
What's the most likely path with Maxx Crosby's contract: Cut, restructure, trade or nothing?
Well, the Raiders are going to have to do something. Crosby and the Raiders agreed on a contract adjustment last offseason that moved money up from future years into 2024, but the result is his deal has two years left at an average of around $21.5 million annually -- and none of it is guaranteed.
An extension that moves Crosby in line with the other top edge rushers in the NFL is probably the correct solution, and even with the Raiders under new management for the second offseason in a row, I'd expect them to treat Crosby like the franchise cornerstone that he is and get that extension done. He had 7.5 sacks and 43 pressures over 12 games in 2024.
Los Angeles Chargers
What are you hearing on whether the Chargers will cut Joey Bosa?
The people I talk to think that's the likely outcome, but they thought the same thing last year, and Bosa and the Chargers were able to get a deal done to keep him there. He's scheduled to make $25.36 million this season, but nearly half of that comes in the form of a $12.36 million roster bonus due next month. So while none of his 2025 money is guaranteed, the Chargers would obviously want to decide by the time they have to pay that roster bonus.
With Khalil Mack eligible for unrestricted free agency and the Chargers contractually prohibited from franchising Mack, keeping Bosa -- who had five sacks in 2024 -- could turn out to be a priority. That is, unless they want to overhaul their entire edge rush the way they did their wide receiver corps last year (which is possible).
NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys
Do the Cowboys have the ability to extend Micah Parsons right now, or are other dominoes going to fall first?
Let's be clear: The Cowboys absolutely have the ability to extend Parsons whenever they want. There's no salary cap reason they can't do this. Parsons is heading into his fifth-year option season, which means his salary and cap number for 2025 are both $24.007 million. An extension -- which will likely come with a massive signing bonus and drop his 2025 salary to the veteran minimum -- will actually create a ton of cap room for Dallas, which is going to have to restructure the Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb contracts for cap space whether they get a Parsons deal done or not.
Parsons -- who has at least a dozen sacks in each of his four seasons -- might end up being the highest-paid defensive player in the league. But as you might have noticed from reading this, that can be said about two or three other players, too. So the Cowboys would be wise to do this deal as soon as possible. That's just not the way they've managed these things in recent years.
New York Giants
Should the Giants pick up Kayvon Thibodeaux's fifth-year option?
The Giants made two first-round picks in 2022: Thibodeaux at No. 5 and offensive lineman Evan Neal at No. 7. It's time to decide on the fifth-year options for those players for the 2026 season, with the deadline falling on May 1. Neal has been a disappointment, and it feels like a no-brainer to decline his option. But Thibodeaux has shown some flashes of promise, including an 11.5-sack season in 2023.
The option, which will be fully guaranteed when it's executed, would pay Thibodeaux $16.06 million in 2026, which isn't out of line for a solid edge rusher in the current market. The Giants need as many homegrown building blocks as they can get, and paying Thibodeaux a total of $21 million over the next two years to continue finding out if he is one feels like the right move.
Philadelphia Eagles
Can the Eagles afford to bring back all of their free agent stars on defense?
Probably not, though it's hard to put anything past GM Howie Roseman and that Eagles front office. Linebacker Zack Baun has played his way into a much larger contract than the one-year, $3.5 million deal the Eagles gave him last offseason. Defensive linemen Milton Williams and Josh Sweat are eligible for unrestricted free agency and are coming off the types of seasons (and Super Bowl performances) that get guys paid near the top of their position groups.
The Eagles also have decisions to make on 34-year-old cornerback Darius Slay Jr. and 31-year-old cornerback James Bradberry IV, each of whom is entering the final year of his contract. Either or both could be let go to create cap room. The Eagles' starting offense is pretty well locked in contractually, but there could be turnover on defense, which is why they've been using so much draft capital on that side of the ball in recent years.
Washington Commanders
Should the Commanders spend big this offseason to maximize Jayden Daniels' rookie deal?
Yeah, this is the time to strike. Only the Patriots and Raiders currently project to have more cap space this offseason than Washington (roughly $78 million). That's not to say the Commanders should spend willy-nilly, but trying to maximize the quarterback's rookie deal is absolutely the way to go. They need to continue to work on the offensive line, particularly to the extent that it helps them establish a more reliable run game. And they could use another playmaking wide receiver.
But the Commanders already have stars on offense and could really stand to add a big contributor or two on defense. They were wise last year to bring in seasoned Super Bowl-winning veterans like Bobby Wagner and Zach Ertz on one-year deals to help them establish the culture. Do they bring those guys back, or do they look for younger, more long-term options in free agency at the positions some of those veterans played last year?
NFC NORTH
Chicago Bears
Does D'Andre Swift's contract prevent the Bears from adding a top running back?
Probably not. The free agent running back boom of 2024, of which Swift was one of the beneficiaries, is not likely to repeat itself this year, when the top free agent backs are guys like Najee Harris, Aaron Jones and Alexander Mattison. Swift is making $8 million this year, and of that, $6.11 million is fully guaranteed. So there's a good chance he's on the 2025 roster. But there has been a lot of chatter out there about the Bears adding another back -- most of it based on the David Montgomery/Jahmyr Gibbs formula that the Lions used when new Bears coach Ben Johnson was their offensive coordinator.
I think it's more likely the Bears draft a running back in one of the early rounds than sign one in free agency, but that's just because it feels like the draft class is a better place to find your RB this year than the free agent market.
Detroit Lions
Do the Lions have the cap space to make a big-time edge rush move ... or are they more likely to take the low-risk dart-throw approach?
The answer to both questions is yes. The Lions are absolutely fine on cap space and could bring in a big-name edge rusher (*cough* Myles Garrett *cough*) if they want -- even with superstar Aidan Hutchinson coming back from his leg injury and extension-eligible. They're in a win-now window with most of their other key guys locked in long term. So yes, it's not wild to imagine a splash signing.
But it's also true that it would be a little out of character for this Lions team to take that kind of a huge swing on an external addition. Given the strategic and targeted way they've built this roster in the Dan Campbell/Brad Holmes era, I would say it's more likely they bring back Za'Darius Smith.
Green Bay Packers
Does the Packers' cap situation mean they will actually make some splashy signings for once?
This question is a little unfair, one year after the Packers signed safety Xavier McKinney and running back Josh Jacobs to free agent deals that were near the top of the market for their respective positions. Green Bay is the ultimate draft-and-develop team, but with Brian Gutekunst at GM it also hasn't been shy about taking swings in free agency when need has met opportunity. But ... we can ask this question with wide receiver in mind, given that the Packers have long preferred to develop their own stars at that position rather than using first-round picks or making big-money signings. And with Jacobs himself recently saying he would like them to get a real No. 1 WR, it's fair to wonder if this might be the year.
As I've said elsewhere, there are teams that think the top of the receiver market is way out of whack with where it should be, given how many good ones are coming out in the draft every year. The Packers will pounce if they see an opportunity in free agency, but they won't go into it thinking about star power.
Minnesota Vikings
How would keeping Sam Darnold affect the Vikings' salary cap over the next two or three years?
The cap numbers for J.J. McCarthy over the next three years are roughly $5 million, $6 million and $7 million. That's an absolute steal if he can be a starting NFL quarterback, which the Vikings obviously believed when they selected him 10th overall in last year's draft. Having a capable QB on a rookie deal allows a team to do other things with its cap, including in this case paying Justin Jefferson $35 million per year to play wide receiver. Jefferson's 2026 and 2027 cap numbers are roughly $39 million and $43.5 million, respectively, which certainly indicates the Vikings are expecting to save elsewhere in those years.
Franchising Darnold this year and again next year would cost about $40 million in 2025 and about $48 million in 2026. Signing him to a long-term contract would reduce those cap numbers, but even if Minnesota could get Darnold back on a three-year, $125 million contract (similar in structure to the deal Baker Mayfield got from the Bucs in March 2024, it's still looking at a 2026 cap number around $28 million or so. And that's a best-case scenario, considering Darnold probably will do better than that on the open market.
The Vikings would be blowing up their plans not just for McCarthy but for their entire roster if they brought back Darnold. That isn't to say they won't or shouldn't, after the season he just had, but it would be a seismic shift in their plans from just last summer.
NFC SOUTH
Atlanta Falcons
What is the best course of action to minimize the cap hit from Kirk Cousins' contract?
From a cap standpoint, a trade is the best way. Cousins has $27.5 million in guaranteed salary coming in 2025, and if he's on the roster on the fifth day of the league year, his $10 million 2026 roster bonus becomes fully guaranteed as well. So if the Falcons trade him before March 17, the acquiring team would take on this year's $27.5 million and next year's $10 million. Atlanta would then absorb $37.5 million in dead money charges on its 2025 cap as a result of the remaining signing bonus proration on the contract.
That's not a small amount of money, but it's less than the Falcons would have to take on if they cut him. If they released him outright before March 17, the dead money hit for 2025 will be $65 million. (It would be $75 million if they waited until after March 17 to release him, but why would they do that?) If the Falcons released him before March 17 and designated him a post-June 1 cut, the dead money hit would be $40 million in 2025 and $25 million in 2026.
Trading him is the best option for the Falcons cap-wise, though it might be tough to find a team willing to take on $27.5 million guaranteed this year and $10 million next year after the season Cousins just had. He was benched after throwing 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
Carolina Panthers
Will Jaycee Horn play the 2025 season on his fifth-year option, or will he get an extension before then?
The Panthers' 2021 first-round pick is slated to make $12.472 million this season on his fifth-year option, and the team has said it's interested in working out an extension to keep him in Carolina long term. Denver's Pat Surtain II got a four-year, $96 million deal in September, which is now the target for a top corner coming up for a contract. How high will the Panthers be willing to go for Horn, who has missed time in his career due to injury but is still only 25 and has been a key part of their defense when healthy? He broke up 11 passes this past season in Carolina.
New Orleans Saints
How deep will this offseason's cap cuts cut for the Saints?
It feels like the Saints are here every year, having to slash and slash just to get under the cap. They're projected to be $50 million or so over the cap. They have restructures they could do to get them part of the way there, but if they're getting into veteran cut territory, they could be looking at the biggest of their big names this time.
Quarterback Derek Carr is set to make $40 million this season. Of that, $10 million is already guaranteed and the remaining $30 million becomes guaranteed in mid-March. His cap number is over $51 million. To knock that down, the Saints might need to extend him, but they could save $30 million on this year's cap if they made him a post-June 1 cut.
Also worth watching is the situation with Cameron Jordan, who's a beloved longtime Saint and has told me he wants to finish his career in New Orleans. Jordan turns 36 in July, has one year left on his contract and is carrying a cap number of roughly $20 million for 2025. Is there an extension that makes sense for Jordan? And if not, is it possible they make him a post-June 1 cut to save $11 million on this year's cap. Some hard and potentially painful decisions lie ahead for New Orleans.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Could Chris Godwin get the franchise tag?
No, there's no practical way the Buccaneers could do this. Godwin has already been franchised twice in his career. Per collective bargaining agreement rules, a player can only be franchised three times in his career, and if it happens a third time, the number has to be 144% of his cap number from the previous season. Godwin's 2024 cap number was $27.534 million, which means a franchise tag for 2025 would cost $39,648,960. Currently, the highest-paid wide receiver in the league is Minnesota's Justin Jefferson at an average of $35 million per year.
The Bucs like Godwin and will surely try to re-sign him before he hits the market but franchising him to keep him off the market is not a real option for them.
NFC WEST
Arizona Cardinals
Could Arizona be a sneaky player in the veteran wide receiver market?
The Cardinals are going to have plenty of cap space and an extremely young wide receiver room, led by 2024 first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr. I don't know that they could get someone like Tee Higgins, if Cincinnati even lets Higgins out of the building. But I wouldn't be surprised to see Arizona spend some of that cap space at that position.
The Cardinals could be a landing spot for someone like Davante Adams (if he's cut), Deebo Samuel Sr. (if he's cut or traded) or Keenan Allen. They ranked 30th in wide receiver receiving yards last season with 1,859 and could use a boost.
Los Angeles Rams
What would trading Cooper Kupp mean for the Rams' cap space?
The short answer is that it would help, which is why they're trying to do it. If Kupp is on the team in 2025 and no alterations are made to his contract, he would count $29.78 million against the Rams' salary cap. If they trade him before his March 17 roster bonus is due, that number will drop to $17.26 million in dead money charges. So they would save $12.52 million.
Now, that assumes the acquiring team would take on all of Kupp's $12.5 million 2025 salary, plus his $7.5 million roster bonus. But the Rams have let it be known they're willing to eat some of the 2025 money in order to make a deal happen. For example, $5 million of that roster bonus is already guaranteed, meaning the Rams are on the hook for it even if they cut him. So if the Rams told an acquiring team they would chip in that $5 million to get the deal done, their dead money charge for Kupp in 2025 would rise to $24.76 million, which would still constitute a $5 million savings.
San Francisco 49ers
What happens if the 49ers can't trade Deebo Samuel Sr.?
Well, I'm pretty sure we're going to find out -- because from a cap standpoint, they really can't trade him. Because of the way they've restructured Samuel's deal over the years, the 49ers would take on $31.55 million in dead money cap charges for 2025 if they traded Samuel. That number would go up to about $47 million if they traded him after his March 22 option bonus came due, so this will obviously play itself out before then.
Releasing Samuel before March 22 and designating him as a post-June 1 cut is the only reasonable way for the 49ers to go here. It would result in a dead cap hit of roughly $10.75 million this season, and the remaining $20.8 million or so in dead money would go on their 2026 cap.
Seattle Seahawks
Who are the Seahawks' cut candidates as they navigate some cap restraints?
The two to watch are receiver Tyler Lockett and outside linebacker Dre'Mont Jones, who currently have the third- and fourth-highest cap numbers on the team, respectively. Quarterback Geno Smith and receiver DK Metcalf have the highest and second highest, but those numbers will likely come down via contract extensions.
Lockett is 32 years old, and while he's a beloved player in the Seahawks' building, he has also kind of found himself the No. 3 wide receiver this past season behind Metcalf and the emerging Jaxon Smith-Njigba. If he's on the team in 2025, it's likely because he took a pay cut from his currently scheduled $17 million to stay. He has a $5.3 million roster bonus due next month, so the Seahawks will want to decide by then. Jones, meanwhile, has played well for Seattle -- but not well enough to justify a $25.645 million cap hit. The Seahawks would save roughly $11.57 million if they released him.