When someone tells you they don’t understand how something works and then tells you how it works, they’re lying to you. So when I hear certain Cleveland sports personalities and media members tell me the Browns have no salary cap room, it’s extremely frustrating. I know how the NFL salary cap works. I’ve been a self-employed accountant for 34 years and am constantly researching both federal and state tax rules. If I don’t understand something, I aggressively find the answer. My livelihood depends on it. Years ago, I made a concerted effort to understand the NFL salary cap. Am I an expert in all aspects? No, I still follow and listen to people like Jack Duffin, who has made it a career to help others understand the Browns salary cap. I do know there to find players contracts and projected future salary cap amounts. https://overthecap.com/salary-cap-space is the best source for the most accurate information. So let me try and enlighten you as to why the Browns are not in cap hell.

NFL teams are allowed to take the left-over cap money in one year and carry it over into the next year. This was created in 1994 to make teams more competitive and was added one year after the salary cap was created. If the Browns have $42 million in left-over cap space in 2024, then they can carry it over to 2025. So if the Browns are over the cap in 2025 by $22 million, based on the players they have under contact, then they’ll have around $20 million in cap room for 2025. The league salary cap in 2024 was $255.4 million and the project cap in 2025 is $272.5 million. This amount is based on Over The Cap, who over the years have been very accurate in this prediction. These amounts put the Browns around $20 million under the projected 2025 cap. Next up, player’s incentives and bonuses not achieved in 2024 will be added back to the 2024 cap. An example would be running back Nick Chubb who had a contract loaded with playing incentives. When Browns GM Andrew Berry announced quarterback Deshaun Watson had a setback in his rehab, Over The Cap reported the Browns had injury insurance on Watson. If a player doesn’t play eight or more games, the team gets a cap credit the following year of the injury. Amounts have varied on the credit for 2025, I’ve seen anywhere between $5 million to $8 million.

Another way the Browns can add to their 2025 cap space is to release or trade players certain players. According to Over The Cap, players who have contracts favorable to cap savings are, safety Juan Thornhill ($7 million), center Pocic ($6 million) and Wyatt Teller ($14 million). The prime player to trade would be cornerback Greg Newsome ($13 million). There’s $40 million added to the 2025 cap just with these four players. Finally, there’s what’s known as cash spending. I call it upfront cash, like an NFL owner personally writing a check to a player when they sign that doesn’t count against the cap. The Browns annually outspend other NFL teams in cash spending, averaging over $50 million. This covenant in the CBA is there for any NFL team, but it requires an owner who is willing to spend more money over the cap. Jimmy Haslam is willing to spend the money.

Andrew Berry has been doing this since 2020, and they have yet to end up in cap hell. This front office is very adept at structuring contacts that are team and cap friendly. Most important, they structure their cap spending so they can stay competitive in future years. Don’t let anyone tell you the Browns don’t have money to spend, they do.