What NFL team has the most cap space in 2026? The conclusion of the 2025 NFL regular season brings into focus the offseason for a majority of teams around the league. While the start of NFL free agency is a few months away, we can get an early look at how much cap space each club is projected to have
Let’s dive into our list of NFL cap space by team, working from the most to the least, per OvertheCap.com.
Tennessee Titans – $105.575 Million
The Tennessee Titans will be among the leaders in cap space when NFL free agency opens. Tennessee does have a plethora of needs to address on both sides of the ball, but it also doesn’t have any real top-end impending free agents that it must re-sign.
Los Angeles Chargers – $103.263 million
The Los Angeles Chargers are projected to be among the NFL’s leaders in cap space this offseason, but they do have two edge rushers (Odafe Oweh and Khalil Mack) to re-sign with top defenders Derwin James Jr. and Tuli Tuipulotu also potential candidates for contract extensions this summer. Los Angeles could also explore signing wide receiver Quentin Johnston to a new deal, with Keenan Allen hitting free agency.
Las Vegas Raiders – $100.8 Million
Not only will the Las Vegas Raiders have the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but they’ll also have ample cap space to spend this offseason. There are obvious issues along the offensive line and in the receiving corps, but it’s worth noting that this year’s NFL free agency class isn’t particularly strong.
Los Angele Rams – $80.168 Million
The Los Angeles Rams will have a lot of cap space to work with this offseason, but there are also some key players eligible to hit the open market. Kamren Curl, Ahkello Witherspoon, Quentin Lake, Cobie Durant and Tutu Atwell are all on expiring contracts. Los Angeles must also find a way to improve its cornerback room and the possibility exists for Matthew Stafford retiring, which would create a massive vacancy at quarterback.
Washington Commanders – $80.525 Million
Coming off a letdown of a season, general manager Adam Peters will have some flexibility to work with this offseason to fortify the Washington Commanders roster. The club could prioritize a veteran edge rusher or cornerback, especially if Marshon Lattimore becomes a cap casualty.
New York Jets – $74.798 Million
Breece Hall won’t be back with the New York Nets in 2026, so add running back to the never-ending list of needs this front office must address. We’d expect that New York pays extra attention to the defensive side of the ball, finding some starting-caliber players for head coach Aaron Glenn.
Seattle Seahawks – $70.071 Million
The Seattle Seahawks will have ample cap room to make a few moves this offseason, but some of that money could go toward re-signing either Riq Woolen or Coby Bryant. Kenneth Walker III is also a free agent this spring, but he seems highly unlikely to be back with Seattle in 2026.
Cincinnati Bengals – $69.017 Million
The Cincinnati Bengals have the cap space to make a few additions this offseason, but that doesn’t seem particularly likely given the organization’s history. Trey Hendrickson could receive the franchise tag and then demand a trade, and the club may want to prioritize new deals for the likes of Geno Stone, Cam Taylor-Britt, or Dalton Risner.
Indianapolis Colts – $45.776 Million
The Daniel Jones injury complicates things more for the Indianapolis Colts this offseason. Even putting him aside, a lot of the team’s cap room could disappear quickly since Braden Smith, Kwity Paye, Alec Pierce and Samson Ebukam are all free agents this spring.
New England Patriots – $43.915 Million
The New England Patriots will likely want to explore new contracts with Jaylinn Hawkins, Khyiris Tonga and K’Lavon Chaisson. Outside of that, however, New England should have just enough financial flexibility to strengthen the supporting cast around Drake Maye.
Pittsburgh Steelers – $39.022 Million
Priority one for the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason is finding a quarterback, assuming Aaron Rodgers retires. Outside of that, Pittsburgh will also likely push hard to re-sign guard Isaac Seumalo and running back Kenneth Gainwell. There are a few avenues to creating more cap space, too.
San Francisco 49ers – $37.135 Million
The production from Jauan Jennings this season could warrant a new contract, especially with Brandon Aiyuk poised to be off the team. One top priority for San Francisco must be bringing in more help at edge rusher, especially with Nick Bosa coming off the second ACL tear of his career.
Denver Broncos – $36.693 Million
Among the Denver Broncos free agents in 2026 are John Franklin-Myers, Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad and JK Dobbins. So, either a significant portion of the cap room will be used on re-signing key role players or Denver will have some additional holes to fill on its roster this offseason.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $36.024 Million
Mike Evans, Jamel Dean and Lavonte David are all eligible for free agency, so the Tampa Bay Buccaneers likely want to address their key veterans before considering outside talent. What became evident last season is that Tampa Bay still has significant room for improvement at both edge rusher and off-ball linebacker. Tight end could also be a primary target for the front office this spring.
Baltimore Ravens – $31.428 Million
The Baltimore Ravens are facing plenty of lingering questions this offseason, and chief among them is how to allocate their limited cap space. All eyes will be on center Tyler Linderbaum, who is unlikely to receive the franchise tag due to the prohibitive cost for interior linemen. Baltimore will need to push hard to re-sign him before free agency opens; otherwise, a bidding war involving desperate teams could quickly push his price tag well outside the Ravens’ comfort zone.
Carolina Panthers – $28.19 Million
The Carolina Panthers will presumably pick up the fully guaranteed fifth-year option on the Bryce Young contract, but a contract extension seems out of the question right now. Outside of that, the club must find a way to add a proven linebacker who can provide desperately needed stability in the middle of this defense.
Arizona Cardinals – $22.278 Million
Kyler Murray won’t be back with the Arizona Cardinals next season, whether that means trading him or releasing him, he’s gone. Fortunately, Arizona signed Jacoby Brissett to a two-year contract so tbere is a viable bridge starter already on the roster. Beyond that, Jalen Thompson could warrant a new deal and Arizona should make every effort to convince Calais Campbell to give it another go.
Philadelphia Eagles – $20.139 Million
Among the Philadelphia Eagles free agents in 2026 are Dallas Goedert, Reed Blankenship and Jaelan Phillips. There’s a very real chance that two of the three are playing for new clubs next season. It might be wise for Howie Roseman to find a better No. 2 corner to pair with Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell, but the departure of Phillips could also create a more pressing need for an edge rusher.
New York Giants – $11.007 Million
Outside of a new deal for Wan’Dale Robinson, none of the New York Giants free agents in 2026 really must be brought back. However, it’s not as if New York has that much financial flexibility to speak of. In a relatively weak class of NFL free agents, adding depth might be the bigger priority for New York.
Detroit Lions – $4.234 Million
Even with some cap management, the Detroit Lions won’t have the room to bring back all of the free agents currently on the roster, including D.J. Reader, Alex Anzalone, Amik Robertson, Levi Onwuzurike and Al-Quadin Muhammad. Limited cap room also means a safety room dealing with two potentially career-altering injuries—or at the very least, injuries that will impact the 2026 season—might be among the positions that cannot be adequately addressed this offseason.
Houston Texans – $2.743 Million
The core of this Houston Texans roster is under contract, so the focus can simply be on adding depth to DeMeco Ryans’ defense ahead of next season. As for the Texans’ offensive line, the only viable path to meaningful improvement likely comes through the 2026 NFL Draft.
Chicago Bears – -$196,440
The Chicago Bears were aggressive last offseason, so the spending will be dialed back quite a bit in 2026. Of the Bears’ free agents, veteran safety Kevin Byard is by far the likeliest to receive a new deal. It will also be interesting to see how Chicago approaches contract talks with Jaquan Brisker, as the front office may have to choose between their two starting safeties.
Jacksonville Jaguars – -$2.971 Million
Among the Jacksonville Jaguars’ free agents this offseason are Greg Newsome, Travis Etienne and Devin Lloyd. As impactful as Lloyd was this season for defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, the number of teams in desperate need of help at linebacker could result in his departure. Jacksonville has some tough choices ahead, and Lloyd’s rising market value may ultimately price him out of their 2026 plans.
Atlanta Falcons – -$4.373 Million
Already navigating uncertainty at the quarterback position, the Atlanta Falcons will also need to determine which of David Onyemata, Leonard Floyd, Kyle Pitts and Kaden Elliss are re-signed this spring.
Buffalo Bills – -$4.72 Million
Many of the veterans on this Buffalo Bills defense are free agents in 2026, and it stands to reason that they will either return on one-year deals or Brandon Beane will find other veterans willing to take short-term contracts. As for the receiving corps, Buffalo’s lone path to a significant upgrade is the 2026 NFL Draft.
Green Bay Packers – -$7.204 Million
Elgton Jenkins and Rashan Gary will be salary cap casualties, and the Green Bay Packers will allow Rasheed Walker, Malik Willis, Romeo Doubs and potentially Quay Walker to all depart in free agency. There is minimal financial flexibility in Green Bay, and that puts even more pressure on general manager Brian Gutekunst to strike gold with his limited draft capital.
Cleveland Browns – -$11.252 Million
A majority of the Cleveland Browns offensive line hits the open market this offseason, so the starting five is going to look vastly different next season. That might be a good thing given how poorly Cleveland has fared in the trenches on offense in the last few seasons.
New Orleans Saints – -$15.423 Million
The biggest thing for the New Orleans Saints this offseason will be figuring out a contract extension with wide receiver Chris Olave. We’d expect that Demario Davis and Cameron Jordan will both take deals that allow them to finish their careers in New Orleans.
Miami Dolphins – -$15.653 Million
The most money the Miami Dolphins will be spending this offseason is ridding themselves of the Tua Tagovailoa contract. Moving off that deal significantly restricts the ability to overhaul the secondary, but Miami has to get rid of Tagovailoa.
Dallas Cowboys – -$33.014 Million
We’re not entirely sure how Jerry Jones plans to fix this Dallas Cowboys defense given all of the holes at every level and the fact that the team will enter the offseason tens of millions of dollars above the NFL salary cap. On the bright side, Jones will have a legitimate reason why he won’t splurge in free agency.
Minnesota Vikings – -$38.288 Million
As the Minnesota Vikings enter an offseason where there quarterback situation feels more unsettled than in recent years, there is also the inevitable wave of cap casualties coming. Minnesota still has a few years left of splurging on other positions because of the J.J. McCarthy contract, but most of that money has already been spent and the on-field results fell well short this season.
Kansas City Chiefs – $52.738 Million
The Kansas City Chiefs have the least amount of cap space entering the offseason. However, that will change in a hurry once Jawaan Taylor is released and the club restructures the contracts of Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones. What is more interesting is whether or not Brett Veach decides to trade cornerback Trent McDuffie instead of signing him to a market-rate extension, a move that would mirror the team’s previous handling of L’Jarius Sneed.
