The NFL has established its 2020 salary cap at $198.2 million, per a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. That falls on the low end of estimates, with most expectations suggesting an even $200 million salary cap. The 5.3% rise in the salary cap is the lowest year-over-year increase since the 2013 season. So how does it impact the New Orleans Saints?
To be blunt: it’s not great. With about $190.7 million on the books for their top 51 contracts in the upcoming season, per Over The Cap, the Saints needed the salary cap to rise as high as possible so that they could maximize their resources in free agency. While they can make a number of roster moves to create more cap space, for now the Saints have roughly $7.5 million with which to spend.
Considering their list of pending free agents includes franchise quarterback Drew Brees and backup passer Taysom Hill (whose expected first-round restricted free agent tender should cost around $5 million by itself), the Saints will have to be as crafty as ever to just retain important contributors, much less find upgrades.
But there’s good news. The salary cap is expected to grow dramatically in 2021 and beyond once new broadcast rights deals are worked out between the NFL and television networks, so the Saints will have plenty of future capital to work with in constructing new contracts. The difficulty comes in projecting just how high the future salary caps might rise.
