NFL Sets 2021 Salary Cap Minimum at $180 Million

The NFL's salary cap for the upcoming season will reportedly be no lower than $180 million, a good omen for teams like the Jaguars.

The 2021 salary cap ceiling is still not finalized, but the teams now know they have a floor of $180 million to work with.

According to multiple reports, the NFL informed teams Thursday about the minimum salary cap, a raise from the previous $175 million minimum. 

“This is not the final Salary Cap for the 2021 League year, which will be set following review of final 2020 revenue figures and other audit and accounting adjustments,” the NFL said in a memo, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. “This agreement simply increases the minimum 2021 Salary Cap by $5 million per club, from $175 million to $180 million.”

The Jacksonville Jaguars were already set to be in strong positioning in terms of available cap space in 2021, but there now remains the possibility the cap could increase even above $180 million. 

If the cap is set at $180 million, then the Jaguars would lead the NFL in available cap space with $77,052,150, according to Over The Cap. This is over $8 million more than the team with the second-most projected cap space, which is coincidentally the Jaguars' AFC South rival in the Indianapolis Colts.

The other teams rounding out the top five, according to Over The Cap, are the New York Jets, New England Patriots, and the Washington Football Team.

The Jaguars are widely expected to be big spenders in free agency due to the astronomical number of holes on the roster. The Jaguars also have few decisions to make on current in-house free agents, with left tackle Cam Robinson the only current impending free agent likely to draw a contract of $10 million or more annually this offseason. 

Jacksonville's surge into the offseason will be led by new head coach Urban Meyer and new general manager Trent Baalke. The duo replaced Doug Marrone and Dave Caldwell after the Jaguars finished with a franchise-worst 1-15 record in 2020.

"We’ve got a job to do for a great owner and it’s a big job. It’s a job that’s going to take a lot of manpower," Meyer said on Jan. 21. 

"And I know, obviously, you take over 1-15, the work ahead of us is a tall task, but it’s certainly one you can’t do by yourself. So, it’s been great.”