NFL dead cap hits over the last 7 seasons

In the cold, calculated world of NFL front offices, “dead money” is the ghost that haunts the salary cap. It is the lingering financial obligation for players no longer on the roster; the price paid for failed high-stakes gambles, sudden retirements, or the aggressive “win-now” restructures that define the modern era. Across the last seven seasons, from 2019 through 2025, the league has seen a staggering $9.73 billion in combined dead cap hits as teams prioritize roster mobility over long-term stability.

General Managers now treat the salary cap like a high-interest credit card; they swipe for immediate talent and deal with the interest payments later. Whether it was the Philadelphia Eagles eating a then-record hit to trade Carson Wentz or the Denver Broncos swallowing the massive fallout of the Russell Wilson era, dead cap has become a standard tool for rebuilding and reloading. While some teams, like the Cincinnati Bengals, operate under a “pay-as-you-go” philosophy, others treat dead money as a necessary tax to remain aggressive in the hunt for a Lombardi Trophy. From the league-leading spenders in Philly to the frugal accountants in Cincy, here is how all 32 teams have paid for their past decisions over the last seven years.

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32. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have long maintained a reputation for fiscal conservatism, rarely venturing into the territory of massive guaranteed contracts that lead to dead cap. Their league-low total is a direct result of a “pay-as-you-go” structure that keeps their books remarkably clean.
Stat: $151M total dead cap since 2019.​

31. Kansas City Chiefs

Despite their dynasty status, the Chiefs have managed their cap with surgical precision, rarely letting dead money spiral out of control. They tend to move on from aging stars only when the financial hit is manageable, prioritizing long-term flexibility around Patrick Mahomes.
Stat: $156M total dead cap since 2019.​

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30. Indianapolis Colts

Under Chris Ballard, the Colts have been notoriously disciplined, avoiding the “all-in” restructures that lead to massive ghost hits. Their low ranking reflects a front office that prefers to let contracts expire rather than cutting players with significant guarantees remaining.​
Stat: $182M total dead cap since 2019.​

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29. Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers have largely avoided the massive dead cap spikes seen by their AFC West rivals by being selective with their high-guarantee extensions. They have maintained a relatively stable core, reducing the need for the “clearing of the decks” that inflates these totals.​
Stat: $194M total dead cap since 2019.​

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28. Pittsburgh Steelers

True to their organizational philosophy, the Steelers rarely cut players they have signed to significant long-term deals. They prefer to let veterans see out their contracts, keeping their dead money figures among the lowest in the league over this seven-year span.​
Stat: $219M total dead cap since 2019.​

27. Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore’s front office is widely regarded as one of the league’s most efficient, using compensatory picks and smart drafting to avoid overpaying for external free agents. This discipline keeps its dead cap hits consistently below the league average.​
Stat: $228M total dead cap since 2019.​

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26. Buffalo Bills

The Bills have occasionally taken bigger hits to reset their roster around Josh Allen, but they have generally avoided catastrophic dead-money years. Their management has been a balance of aggressive windows and responsible exit strategies.
Stat: $230M total dead cap since 2019.​

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25. Washington Commanders

Despite years of organizational turnover, the Commanders’ dead cap total sits in the bottom third of the league. This is partly due to a lack of massive, long-term player investments that would have triggered larger hits upon release.​
Stat: $270M total dead cap since 2019.​

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24. Dallas Cowboys

“America’s Team” often finds itself in the headlines for big contracts, but it has been adept at structuring deals that don’t leave it with massive dead money upon departure. They lean heavily on restructures to manage active cap rather than taking the hit of a release.​
Stat: $273M total dead cap since 2019.​

23. New England Patriots

In the post-Brady era, the Patriots have cycled through several roster iterations, resulting in moderate dead-cap spikes. However, Bill Belichick’s “value-first” approach generally prevented the team from carrying the league’s most egregious ghost hits.​
Stat: $280M total dead cap since 2019.​

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22. Chicago Bears

Chicago’s total reflects a franchise that has undergone multiple regime changes and quarterback resets in a short window. Each new direction has required eating the remaining guarantees of the previous era’s core players.​
Stat: $283M total dead cap since 2019.​

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21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs took on a significant financial burden to build the “Super Bowl or Bust” roster around Tom Brady. Once that window closed, they were forced to swallow the dead money associated with those championship-winning restructures.​
Stat: $291M total dead cap since 2019.​

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20. Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have consistently hovered in the middle of the pack, often navigating the complex guarantees of Kirk Cousins’ contracts. Their dead cap hits are the result of a team that has tried to stay competitive while periodically refreshing its aging defensive core.​
Stat: $294M total dead cap since 2019.​

19. Detroit Lions

Detroit’s number is heavily influenced by the massive dead hit taken during the Matthew Stafford trade, which was a necessary price to kickstart their successful rebuild. Since then, they have been much more calculated with their cap spending.
Stat: $296M total dead cap since 2019.​

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18. Green Bay Packers

The Packers’ dead cap total is defined by the end of the Aaron Rodgers era, which required a significant financial clearing to hand the keys to Jordan Love. It was the ultimate “tax” for nearly two decades of elite quarterback play.
Stat: $297M total dead cap since 2019.​

17. Cleveland Browns

The Browns have been aggressive in using the salary cap to acquire talent, often resulting in complex contract structures that leave behind dead money when players are moved. Their strategy involves maximizing current windows at the expense of future flexibility.​
Stat: $311M total dead cap since 2019.​

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16. Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta spent several years digging out from under the massive contracts of the late 2010s, most notably the record-setting dead hit for Matt Ryan. This seven-year period covers their difficult transition into a new era of football.
Stat: $312M total dead cap since 2019.​

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15. Los Angeles Rams

The “F*** Them Picks” Rams are also the “F*** the Cap” Rams, frequently taking massive dead hits to move on from players like Jared Goff and Todd Gurley in pursuit of a Super Bowl. For them, dead money is simply the cost of winning.
Stat: $312M total dead cap since 2019.​

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14. Seattle Seahawks

Seattle’s high ranking is largely fueled by the departure of franchise icon Russell Wilson, who forced them to eat one of the largest dead cap hits in league history. It marked the definitive end of their most successful era… until their magnificent 2025-26 season, which culminated in a Super Bowl win.
Stat: $316M total dead cap since 2019.​

13. Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins have undergone several massive roster overhauls since 2019, including a complete teardown and a subsequent aggressive build-up. Both phases required significant dead money to clear out unwanted contracts.
Stat: $325M total dead cap since 2019.​

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12. Arizona Cardinals

Arizona has seen a high volume of dead money due to frequent coaching changes and the resulting shifts in roster philosophy. Moving on from high-priced veterans who didn’t fit new schemes has kept their ghost roster expensive.​
Stat: $337M total dead cap since 2019.​

11. Denver Broncos

The Broncos’ position near the top is a direct result of the Russell Wilson trade fallout, which saw them swallow a historic $85 million hit over two years. It is one of the most expensive “mistakes” in NFL roster-building history.
Stat: $341M total dead cap since 2019.​

10. San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers’ aggressive pursuit of a championship has led to frequent restructures that eventually come due. They are willing to eat significant sums to ensure they have the flexibility to keep their core stars under contract.
Stat: $345M total dead cap since 2019.​

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9. Tennessee Titans

Tennessee’s high total reflects the end of the Mike Vrabel era and the decision to move on from aging veterans like Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry. The Titans chose a clean break over a slow decline, paying the price in dead cap.
Stat: $353M total dead cap since 2019.​

8. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars have been one of the league’s most active teams in free agency, which inevitably leads to high dead money totals when those splashy signings fail to meet expectations. They have paid a premium for constant roster turnover.
Stat: $362M total dead cap since 2019.​

7. New York Giants

Big Blue’s dead money is a legacy of several front offices trying to bridge the gap between the Eli Manning era and the present. Constant coaching changes have led to a carousel of expensive players who didn’t last through their contracts.
Stat: $366M total dead cap since 2019.​

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6. New Orleans Saints

The Saints are the masters of cap manipulation, famously pushing hits into future years through constant restructures. Eventually, those bills come due, resulting in massive dead cap hits whenever a player finally leaves the building.
Stat: $370M total dead cap since 2019.​

5. Las Vegas Raiders

With three different head coaches in this seven-year span, the Raiders have repeatedly paid to purge the previous regime’s roster. Their high ranking is a byproduct of a franchise that has struggled to find a consistent identity.
Stat: $378M total dead cap since 2019.​

4. Houston Texans

The Texans’ massive figure stems from a scorched-earth rebuild following the departures of Deshaun Watson and other cornerstone players. They chose to take all their medicine at once, clearing the books for their current resurgence.
Stat: $379M total dead cap since 2019.​

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3. Carolina Panthers

Carolina has cycled through quarterbacks and coaches at an alarming rate, with each failed experiment leaving behind a trail of dead money. Their high total reflects a team stuck in a perpetual state of “starting over.”
Stat: $388M total dead cap since 2019.​

2. New York Jets

The Jets have frequently used dead cap to “cleanse” the roster during their various rebuilds. By swallowing large hits early, they have attempted to give incoming regimes a blank slate, though the cycle has repeated multiple times.
Stat: $422M total dead cap since 2019.​

1. Philadelphia Eagles

Topping the list, Howie Roseman and the Eagles treat dead cap as a strategic asset rather than a penalty. By aggressively moving on from players early, most notably Carson Wentz, they accept short-term financial pain to ensure they never stagnate.
Stat: $453M total dead cap since 2019.​​

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Counting the cost of the ghost roster

While $9.73 billion is a staggering sum to pay for players no longer in the building, it is simply the modern tax for competing in the NFL. For teams like the Eagles and Rams, dead cap is a badge of aggressiveness; for others, it is a haunting ledger of errors. In a league where the window of opportunity is often just a few seasons wide, the only thing more expensive than paying for the past is failing to invest in the future.

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