The NFL sent a memo to teams on Thursday stating that the salary was upper limit would be raised to $ 180 million for the 2021 season. While it’s a little bit of good news, it’s still good news for the 49ers and the impending gym salary cap they will have to swing into free agency.
Ahead of last season, the NFL and the NFL Players’ Association agreed on a salary cap of $ 175 million as they brace themselves for the long-term financial ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Teams can typically rely on the limit going up about $ 10 million every year. A $ 175 million floor would have been a $ 23 million dip from 2020, leaving the 49ers with about $ 9 million in cap space.
Now the NFL has reset the floor to $ 180 million, which would leave San Francisco with $ 12,670,669 in space available. That number will jump up once they make some cuts and roster restructuring to free up some extra space.
General manager John Lynch told reporters after the season that the team was planning a $ 175 million cap.
“We’re operating under the floor premise, which is 175 (million),” said Lynch in his end-of-season video conference. “We felt it was best to act on that and formulate our plans based on that. If anything on top, that’s gravy for us. “
The additional $ 5 million will be beneficial in terms of working out their free agents situation, but it is also a sign that the limit could go above $ 180 million.
Regardless, maneuvering this off-season won’t be easy for the 49ers. It is the first time that they really play against the cap with good players like Trent Williams, K’Waun Williams and Kyle Juszczyk who all hit free agency. They need every last dollar they can get at the limit, and the NFL’s announcement of an increased limit gives them an extra $ 5 million they didn’t intend to get.