As the NFL offseason approaches the new league year (March 12th) teams will begin the process of converting salaries, processing extensions, and of course - outright releasing players as they push for cap compliancy. Spotrac has identified a potential cap casualty from each NFL team in the coming weeks and months.

RELATED:
NFL CAP HIT RANKINGS

Arizona Cardinals

S Jalen Thompson

The 26-year-old is just 1 season removed from a 4 INT campaign, but had a more up-and-down 2024 season in Arizona. His $13.7M cap hit is a team-high among defensemen, and nearly $5.7M of that can be freed up before a $2M March 16th roster bonus is due/

Atlanta Falcons

QB Kirk Cousins

Well that escalated quickly. Cousins is fully guaranteed $27.5M in 2025, and the Falcons are highly unlikely to find a trade partner before another $10M locks in on March 16th. Atlanta likely designates the 36-year-old a Post 6/1 release prior to that bonus trigger, keeping his $40M cap hit on the books into June, then taking on dead hits of $40M 2025, $25M in 2026.

Baltimore Ravens

K Justin Tucker

Things were heading in this direction even prior to the (growing) list of allegations that have been reported against him. Tucker has 3 years, $13.5M remaining on his contract, but none of it is guaranteed, and there are no early bonuses to contend with either. Unfortunately, a few sizable salary conversions in recent offseasons means the contract holds $7.5M of dead cap against a $7M cap hit in 2025. An outright release this March actually comes with a cap loss of $445,000 (a Post 6/1 designation can free up $4.2M in June).

Buffalo Bills

OLB Von Miller

The nearly 36-year-old took an $8.6M pay cut to remain with the Bills in 2024, earning just over $12.4M when it was all said and done. Due a non-guaranteed $17.5M for the upcoming season, a similar arrangement may be in the works, but the Bills could surely use the $8.4M to be freed up by moving off of this contract completely. 

Carolina Panthers

RB Miles Sanders

Sanders was relegated to a backup role almost immediately after signing his 4 year, $25 million free agent contract back in 2023. The 27-year-old earned $13.2M over the past 2 years in Carolina, but will almost certainly be moved on from before a $1M roster bonus is due on March 14th. The Panthers will take on $2.95M of dead cap, freeing up $5.2M.

Chicago Bears

TE Gerald Everett

The 30-year-old enters Year 2 of a 2 year, $12M contract in Chicago, set to earn $5.5M for the upcoming season. Everett saw action in just 240 snaps last season, putting his $6.5M cap hit on notice in the coming weeks. The Bears can free up $5.5M of space by moving on.

Cincinnati Bengals

DE Sam Hubbard

Hubbard enters the final year of a 5 year, $42M contract with the Bengals, set to earn a non-guaranteed $9.6M in 2025. The 29-year-old posted a respectable 25 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception line in 2024, but saw action in just 46% of the team’s snaps. Cincinnati can free up $9.5M of space by moving on.

Cleveland Browns

G Joel Bitonio

The 33-year-old struggled in 2024, and has publicly mentioned the possibility of retirement this offseason. He enters the final year of a 5 year, $69M contract in Cleveland, set to earn a non-guaranteed $15M for the upcoming season. With $31M of dead cap on the books currently, the Browns would need to process a release or retirement as a Post June 1st move, freeing up $4.25M of space after 6/1. A decision will need to be made by March 14th, when a $3M roster bonus is due.

Dallas Cowboys

S Donovan Wilson

Wilson is a do-it-all safety when it comes to stuffing up a run game or even getting to the QB, but his coverage numbers tied with the fact that Dallas has two young players ready to compete for his job already rostered likely moves Wilson to the bubble this March. The nearly 28-year-old is set to earn $7M in 2025, but the Cowboys can free up $5.85M of cap by moving on.

Denver Broncos

S P.J. Locke

Locke posted a career-high 73 tackles in 2024, taking over 900 snaps for the Broncos D. He enters the final season of a 2 year, $7M contract in Denver, set to earn $4M in 2025. The Broncos can free up over $4.1M by moving on this spring.

Detroit Lions

LB Alex Anzalone

The Lions have a few higher-priced defensive players that may be on the bubble heading toward March, but we’ll focus on Anzalone here. The 30-year-old missed 6 weeks with an arm injury in 2024, allowing 2023 1st rounder Jack Campell to slide ahead of him on the depth chart. If Detroit feels like this move could prove permanent, they’ll look to capture the $4.8M of space they can free up here.

Green Bay Packers

CB Jaire Alexander

The 28-year-old is entering Year 4 of a 5 year, $97M contract in Green Bay, set to earn a non-guaranteed $17.5M for the upcoming season. When healthy, he’s still a top-flight cornerback in the league, but the availability has been few and far between of late. The Packers can open up $6.4M of space by moving on (release or trade) this March.

Houston Texans

DE Denico Autry

The 34-year-old enters the final season of a 2 year, $20M contract in Houston, set to earn $9M in 2025. He posted 3 sacks in a depth role (314 snaps) for the Texans last season, and is likely too expensive to carry into the new league year. Houston can free up $6M of space by moving on.

Indianapolis Colts

DT Raekwon Davis

The 27-year-old enters the final season of a 2 year, $14M contract in Indy, set to earn $6.5M in 2025. He posted extremely limited production in just 349 snaps last season, putting his $8.9M cap hit on notice. The Colts can free up $6.5M of space by moving on.

Jacksonville Jaguars

WR Christian Kirk

After a sparkling 2023 campaign, Kirk has battled injuries each of the last two seasons in Jacksonville, putting his $16.5M salary on notice. The Jags can free up $10.5M of space by moving on.

Kansas City Chiefs

CB Joshua Williams

A 4th-round pick back in 2022, Williams remains a depth CB for the Chiefs heading toward the final season of his rookie contract. Despite the backup role, Williams garnered enough snaps to trigger a Proven Performance Bonus for 2025, escalating his salary to a non-guaranteed $3.2M for the upcoming season. KC can free up this amount by moving on.

Las Vegas Raiders

QB Gardner Minshew

$3.16M of Minshew’s 2025 salary is already fully guaranteed, so this isn’t a slam-dunk scenario by any means. But the Raiders are almost certain to spend significant free agent and/or draft capital on the QB position this offseason, rendering the Minshew-project somewhat useless going forward. Las Vegas can free up $3M of cap with an early release this March.

Los Angeles Chargers

OLB Joey Bosa

Bosa renegotiated his contract to remain in the fold last season, signing a 2 year, $40.3M deal that included no guaranteed money for 2025. He started only 9 games last year, posting 5 sacks and causing 2 forced fumbles for his efforts. When healthy, he’s still a heck of a player, but the 29-year-old hasn’t played out a full season since 2021. The Chargers can free up $25.3M of cap by moving on before a $12.36M roster bonus is due on March 12th.

Los Angeles Rams

WR Cooper Kupp

The 31-year-old has been told to seek out a trade this winter, furthering the narrative that his time in LA is likely coming to an end. Kupp has 2 years, $39.85M remaining on his contract, including $5M fully guaranteed for the upcoming season. The Rams may need to eat a portion of the $7.5M bonus due on March 16th to facilitate a trade, but could also just outright release Kupp at the start of the league year, taking on $22.2M of dead cap, freeing up $7.5M of space.

Miami Dolphins

WR Tyreek Hill

The Dolphins have already trimmed a few veterans from their roster as they work to become cap-compliant in March, but this offseason is about making an expensive football team more competitive in the AFC as well. Hill still has separation, speed, and a ton of ability - but for one reason or another, wasn’t given a lot of opportunities to put that on display in 2024 within this Miami offense. If a team or two is willing to overpay a bit on the trade market, the Dolphins seem open to having someone else take on the $28M+ owed to Hill in 2025 (even if a Pre 6/1 trade only frees up $401,250 of cap space).

Minnesota Vikings

G Ed Ingram

A 2nd Round pick out of LSU back in 2022, Ingram fell out of the starting lineup in 2024 despite starting 32 games in his first 2 NFL seasons. His 2025 salary escalated over $3.2M thanks to a Proven Performance Bonus, putting him squarely on the bubble this March. Minnesota can free up that $3.214M by moving on.

New England Patriots

WR Kendrick Bourne

Bourne’s 2024 got off to a slow start as he recovered from an ACL injury, and he never really found his footing in Drake Maye’s offense. That’s not to say that a full offseason can’t change that, but plenty of changes are coming to the offensive weapons this winter, so a bit of a “clean sweep” could make total sense.The Patriots can free up $5.1M of cap by on from the remaining 2 years, $13M left on Bourne’s deal.

New Orleans Saints

QB Derek Carr

As usual, the Saints have a lot of work to do (and potentially a lot of players to subtract) just to get cap-compliant for 2025. But they may take a big swing by moving on from their QB1 before the remaining $30M of his 2025 compensation becomes fully guaranteed on March 14th. New Orleans would still owe Carr a $10M payment on his way out, and the contract carries $50.1M of total dead cap on it this offseason, but signs still point to his release in the coming weeks. If the Saints designate Carr a Post June 1st release, they’ll split that dead cap into $21.5M this year, $28.6M next year once June hits, though they’d still be carrying a $51.4M cap hit for 3+ months.

New York Giants

TE Daniel Bellinger

Bellinger’s targets and subsequent production have fallen off of a cliff in each of the past two seasons in NY, putting his future there very much in doubt. The former 4th Round pick still secured a Proven Performance escalator, taking his 2025 salary north of $3.2M, but the Giants can free all of it up by moving on this March.

New York Jets

WR Davante Adams

The Jets will likely do all the due diligence they can to see if they can squeeze a draft pick or two from a team looking to acquire Adams this winter, though there won’t be a team in football that wants anything to do with the 2 years, $72.5M remaining on this current contract. The Jets only hold $8.3M of dead cap on the deal, so they stand to free up nearly $30M if/when they move on via trade or release.

Philadelphia Eagles

S Darius Slay

The 34-year-old is under contract at 1 year, $16M for the upcoming season, but it’s largely expected that the two sides will part ways, at least for the purpose of getting out of this current contract. Philly likely designates Slay a Post June 1st release this March, a move that will send him to free agency immediately, while also freeing up around $4.3M of cap for the Eagles when the calendar flips to June.

Pittsburgh Steelers

DL Larry Ogunjobi

The 30-year-old posted a pretty typical 40+ tackle, 2 sack campaign for the Steelers in 2024, and his cap figure actually DROPS $2.7M for the upcoming season, but the writing still may be on the wall in the coming weeks. PIttsburgh can free up $7 of cap by moving on before a $3M roster bonus is due on March 14th.

San Francisco 49ers

WR Deebo Samuel

The 29-year-old has been given the green light to seek out a trade partner this winter, as he and the 49ers head toward divorce. The problem with a Pre June 1st trade is the $31M+ of dead cap attached to the contract this offseason. It represents a $15.2M loss for San Francisco in 2025. It’s largely expected that Niners will instead designate Samuel a Post June 1st release this March, keeping his $15.8M cap figure on the books into June, then taking on dead hits of $10.6M in 2025, $20.4M in 2026.

Seattle Seahawks

WR Tyler Lockett

The 32-year-old was a 3rd round pick of the Seahawks back in 2015, but his time in Seattle appears to be coming to an end. While the 1 year, $17M remaining on his contract is somewhat feasible, the $30.9M cap figure certainly is not. The Seahawks are expected to release Lockett before a $5.3M roster bonus is paid out on March 16th, freeing up the entire $17M.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

S Jordan Whitehead

After a great 2023 campaign, Whitehead battled both a pec injury, and an unfortunate car accident through 2024, putting his immediate figure with the organization in a bit of question. The 2025 portion of his 2 year, $9M contract was always going to be a bit of an “option”, and Tampa Bay can free up $4.5M of cap by moving on this March.

Tennessee Titans

OT Nicholas Petit-Frere

The 3rd Round pick out of Ohio State back in 2022 hasn’t been able to find his sea legs as a starter in the NFL, putting his $3.21M salary for 2025 very much in question. The Titans will spend plenty of capital & assets bulking up their offensive line for their next QB1, so moving on here makes sense.

Washington Commanders

DL Jonathan Allen

A #17 overall pick back in 2017, Allen is the longest-tenured member of this Commanders franchise not-named Tress Way, but that could be coming to an end in the next few weeks. The 30-year-old is entering a contract year in 2025, set to earn $16.3M against a $22.3M cap hit. With just $6M of dead cap on the books, Washington can free up (even more) significant cap space for league year.