Carolina Panthers' updated salary cap space after NFL confirms $301.2 million ceiling

It's time to take an updated look at the Carolina Panthers' salary cap space ahead of free agency after the league has confirmed the new ceiling for 2026.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the league revealed that the new salary cap will come in at $301.2 million, which is an increase of a whopping $22 million from last season.

And with that increase, the salary cap has gone up in every year but one since 2013, when the cap number was $123 million.

No surprise there, as the NFL continues to grow and rake in a ton of money each and every season.

Panthers' updated cap space

Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. — Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Before the NFL's confirmation, Over The Cap projected a $303.5 million salary cap for 2026, and at that number the Panthers were sitting with a projected $12.5 million in cap space.

With the number coming in at $2.3 million lower than the Over The Cap projection, we have to shave that amount off Carolina's total.

So, quick math: the Panthers now have an estimated $10.2 million to work with this offseason before making any moves.

While that's not a lot, the Panthers have multiple avenues to free up more, with cuts, restructures and extensions all being possibilities.

When it comes to cut candidates, four players to keep an eye on are defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson, quarterback Andy Dalton, tight end Tommy Tremble and EDGE Patrick Jones.

Cutting those four players would free up about $23 million in cap space for the Panthers to use in free agency.

We'd also peg Tremble as an extension candidate if the Panthers don't want to let him go and want to lower his $8 million cap hit. Guard Damien Lewis is also someone who could warrant a new deal with a $16.7 million cap hit incoming.

No matter how they go about it, we fully expect Carolina to open up more cap space in order to make a push for improvements through free agency.