Jan 14, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey speaks during the press conference announcing his hiring at the University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Okay, this is starting to get a little ridiculous. Pro Football Talk is citing a source suggesting the $132 project salary cap, which is up from a report of “about $130 million,” which was up from $126 million, could now, in fact, be as high as $135 million.
"Per the source, the cap could be a “few million” higher than $132 million. If this means $3 million more than reported, the cap could be as high as $135 million. That would amount to an 9.75 percent increase over last year, the biggest spike by far since the 2011 labor deal was negotiated."
The NFL should be announcing the actual salary cap number soon as the free agency begins in two weeks (March 11). Teams will have a small window before the opening of free agency to talk to pending free agents from other teams as well as attempt to re-sign their own free agents. So one would assume teams should be finding out the 2014 cap number some time in the next week.
There is also this little Twitter musing from NFLosophy.
2012 NFL Salary Cap: $120.6M. 2013: $123M. 2014: Rumored to be $130M. TV money kicks in in 2015. $140M is a foregone conclusion.
— NFL Philosophy (@NFLosophy) February 25, 2014
The only question is how high into the $140Ms does the cap extend in 2015? Or all the way through? Just saying, $150M wouldn't shock me.
— NFL Philosophy (@NFLosophy) February 25, 2014
If people in the industry are expecting large increases in the salary cap in the near future then it changes the way we should look at Kansas City’s future cap situation. Meaning there is no need to touch Tamba Hali or Brandon Flowers contracts this offseason. At $135 million for 2014, the Chiefs could easily maneuver things to sign a key free agent or two, sign all of their draft picks, and have open space to work with in case of an emergency. They can do this because, based off of Over the Cap’s numbers and KC’s cap rollover from 2013, the Chiefs would be working with $14.458 million in cap space on March 11.
Kansas City still cannot sign anyone “major” free agent with a salary cap at $132 million or $135 million. However, they can make the necessary small additions and re-signings that will make them a better football team for 2014. This would have been seriously difficult back when the salary cap was projected at $126 million. Hopefully these reports prove to be true.