A week ago, the NFL and NFLPA agreed to increase the 2021 salary cap from $175 million to $180 million. At the time, it was reported that the $180 million figure would be the floor for the salary cap.
A recent report from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio projected the final salary cap number to land in the $182-$183 million range:
Per a league source with knowledge of the situation, it’s possible that the number will be more than $180 million — but the number most likely won’t reach $185 million.
The final number for the salary cap, per the source, could land in the range of $182 million to $183 million.
That adjustment was reportedly the result of some “aggressive lobbying by teams that would have had a hard time getting their 2021 cap number down to $175 million.” At the moment, according to Over the Cap’s calculations, almost half of the league’s clubs would be over a $175 million salary cap.
Per OTC, the 49ers currently have $13.3 million in cap space, which is the 15th-highest in the NFL. That’s operating under a salary cap of $180 million. San Francisco could get to $20 million in cap space by releasing Dee Ford and Weston Richburg.
We’ll know soon enough whether the team releases those two or have any other players to release in mind. Plus, whether the NFL will continue to increase the salary cap.