The NFL salary cap is more than just a number – it’s a high-stakes mix of budgeting, creativity and accounting strategy that keeps the league competitive. It’s the reason the phrase “any given Sunday” rings true, ensuring even the underdogs have a shot. After a whirlwind offseason of free agency signings, draft picks, contract extensions, restructures and tough roster cuts, the financial picture is coming into focus.
Which NFL teams are spending the most, and which still have valuable cap space to maneuver as the season unfolds? Here’s a closer look at the NFL payrolls in 2025 and how the salary cap will shape the year ahead.
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Which NFL Teams Have the Highest Payroll in 2025?
Our measurement of payroll is Total Cap Allocations, which is everything that counts against a team’s salary cap. This includes the cap hit of every player on the 53-man active roster, the practice squad, those injured or suspended and dead money (salary paid to a player no longer with the team).
The Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers lead the way in cap allocations largely due to cap space tied up in reserves and dead cap. The Browns likely have quarterback DeShaun Watson and his $35.89M cap hit on injured reserve for all of 2025.
Meanwhile, the 49ers lead the league in dead cap, thanks in large part to wide receiver Deebo Samuel’s $34M dead cap hit as part of his trade to the Washington Commanders.
The Giants are still paying for quarterback Daniel Jones who is now the week 1 starter for the Indianapolis Colts and the Falcons are paying their current backup QB Kirk Cousins $40M. Stefon Diggs signed with the Patriots in free agency, but Houston still has him on the books for $16M in dead money.
Such is the splendor of the NFL salary cap. Here’s a look at NFL team payrolls for 2025 from highest to lowest:
| Rank | Team | Total Cap Allocations |
| 1 | Cleveland Browns | $317,004,989 |
| 2 | San Francisco 49ers | $311,220,994 |
| 3 | New York Giants | $300,329,628 |
| 4 | Atlanta Falcons | $294,160,514 |
| 5 | Houston Texans | $293,996,893 |
| 6 | Jacksonville Jaguars | $287,766,924 |
| 7 | Las Vegas Raiders | $287,675,796 |
| 8 | Indianapolis Colts | $285,671,005 |
| 9 | Green Bay Packers | $283,475,188 |
| 10 | Kansas City Chiefs | $282,774,666 |
| 11 | Miami Dolphins | $281,150,884 |
| 12 | Washington Commanders | $280,757,719 |
| 13 | Chicago Bears | $279,055,616 |
| 14 | Tennessee Titans | $278,550,208 |
| 15 | Baltimore Ravens | $276,428,200 |
| 16 | Carolina Panthers | $275,902,906 |
| 17 | Arizona Cardinals | $275,623,353 |
| 18 | Detroit Lions | $273,472,929 |
| 19 | New Orleans Saints | $272,521,177 |
| 20 | Philadelphia Eagles | $272,255,163 |
| 21 | Buffalo Bills | $271,677,128 |
| 22 | Cincinnati Bengals | $270,230,040 |
| 23 | New England Patriots | $268,904,093 |
| 24 | Los Angeles Rams | $268,329,774 |
| 25 | Dallas Cowboys | $268,000,485 |
| 26 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | $266,398,095 |
| 27 | Minnesota Vikings | $266,235,744 |
| 28 | Los Angeles Chargers | $265,550,224 |
| 29 | Denver Broncos | $264,653,647 |
| 30 | Seattle Seahawks | $261,003,536 |
| 31 | New York Jets | $260,673,208 |
| 32 | Pittsburgh Steelers | $258,784,644 |
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So there you have it: Every NFL team’s payroll in 2025-26. Find out if all of that money is well spent by watching NFL games all season long on DIRECTV! Learn more about all of the ways to watch here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which NFL team has the highest payroll in 2025?
The Cleveland Browns have the highest payroll heading into the 2025 season. This is largely due to leading the league in cap space tied up in reserves due to Deshaun Watson on injured reserve for the season.
Which NFL team has the lowest payroll in 2025?
The Pittsburgh Steelers have the lowest payroll heading into the 2025 season at $258,784,644.
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