Falcons Get Great News as NFL Makes Final Call on 2025 Salary Cap

With less than two weeks remaining until NFL free agency begins, the league has set its salary cap level for 2025.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero tweeted on Feb. 27 that the NFL and NFLPA have agreed to set next season's salary cap at $279.2 million for each club. As is customary for the NFL, the new salary cap level is a new record high.

The NFL and NFLPA have agreed to a 2025 salary cap of $279.2 million per club, per sources. Another record high. pic.twitter.com/9vm0TvzklU
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 27, 2025

At $279.2 million, the cap will rise almost $24 million from last season. ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted a chart of the salary cap level for the league each season dating back to 1994.

Over the last 30 years, the NFL salary cap has decreased only twice. Most recently, the cap decreased in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic when stadiums were not permitted to host a full allotment of fans.

Even still, since 2018, the league's salary cap has increased more than $100 million.

NFL teams were informed today that the 2025 salary cap will be $279.2 million per club. pic.twitter.com/1jZowiUMOC
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 27, 2025

The NFL's salary cap increase for 2025 is great news for any team expected to have cap issues. That includes the Atlanta Falcons, who Spotrac ranked as 27th in the league in cap space.

Despite the increase, the Falcons are actually still over the cap. But they will be able to get under the limit with roster cuts such as defensive lineman David Onyemata and Grady Jarrett.

After the league's salary cap announcement on Feb. 27, Spotrac reported the Falcons as roughly $5 million over the cap.

Releasing Onyemata will save $8 million. The Falcons, though, could make more cuts in order to sign the rookie draft class and free agents.

Atlanta could also create more cap space with contract restructures. The Falcons might prefer that over releasing Jarrett, who has been a very popular and productive player during his career. Offensive tackles Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary are also candidates to have their contracts restructured.

The Falcons are in a difficult spot with the cap in large part because they signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract last offseason.

A Cousins trade will give the Falcons some cap savings but only if it's a post-June 1 trade. Releasing Cousins before June 1 could save the team $25 million in cap space, but the organization would incur huge cap hits in 2026 and 2027.

A post-June 1 release results in no 2025 cap savings for the Falcons.

General manager Terry Fontenot still has a lot of work to do to build a competitive roster under the cap. But the work will be easier with how much the cap will rise for 2025.