The National Football League will have a lower salary cap in 2021 according to the Associated Press on Wednesday. The news should come as zero surprise because the NFL had a significant reduction in overall revenues this past year due to the fact players played in primarily empty stadiums.
The NFL salary cap will be $182.5 million per team in 2021. During the 2020 season, the NFL had a salary cap of $198.2 million. We have already seen a few teams release players. They include the New Orleans Saints, who have parted ways with wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and tight end Jared Cook, the Minnesota Vikings, who released tight end Kyle Rudolph, the Chicago Bears, who released cornerback Buster Skrine, the New York Giants, who released wide receiver Golden Tate, the Detroit Lions, who released cornerback Desmond Trufant, the Washington Football Team, who released quarterback Alex Smith, the Houston Texans, who released linebacker J.J. Watt, and the Buffalo Bills, who released wide receiver John Brown.
However one must realize the Texans release of Watt did not all have to deal with finances. Watt asked to be released, was granted his wish from Houston, and was subsequently signed by the Arizona Cardinals.
The fact that the salary cap is only dropping by 8% in 2021 from 2020, is actually impressive when you take a look at the entire professional football landscape at the moment. For example, the Canadian Football League did not have a season at all in 2020 because of coronavirus, and on Wednesday, announced their plans for a future partnership with the XFL so it can simply survive.
Over the last year, the XFL has struggled mightily financially too, as the league filed for bankruptcy in 2020, in their second attempt in trying to get going. In October, a group led by former professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson and his business partner Dany Garcia, purchased the XFL for $15 million, and announced plans to resume play in 2022. Interestingly, Johnson has CFL experience as a player as he was on the Calgary Stampeders practice roster for two months in 1995.
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