Beasts of the East: Patriots Own Most Salary Cap in Division

With the free agency and the NFL Draft in the rearview, here's a look at how much cap space the New England Patriots currently have.

The New England Patriots may not have the best record in the AFC East in 2023. But after free agency and the NFL Draft, Bill Belichick and the Pats do have the most money.

Where do they stand in terms of cap space? According to Over The Cap, the Patriots have $12,391,960 in cap space. That puts them with the 15th most cap space in the NFL.

Notably, the Patriots have the most cap space among AFC East teams, topping the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets, who all have less than $10 million in cap space. 

At 8-9, the Patriots finished third in the AFC East in 2022, behind two playoff teams in the Bills and the Dolphins. There's no reason to believe that the Bills and Dolphins won't once again be playoff-caliber teams in 2023, and with the addition of four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, the Jets certainly have their eyes set on returning to the playoffs themselves. 

Matthew Judon ($18.1 million) Hunter Henry ($15.5 million) and Trent Brown ($12.25 million) are currently slated to have the highest cap hits among Patriots players in 2023. Meanwhile, third-year quarterback Mac Jones will carry just a $4.25 million cap hit this upcoming season. 

Interestingly, the Patriots are scheduled to have over $134 million in cap space at their disposal next offseason. The only team currently on pace to have more money to work with are Nick Caserio and the Houston Texans, who are on pace to have $147.46 million in cap space after the 2023 season.

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