The NFL has decided to increase the salary cap for the players by 12 million dollars this season. This may be the final year that there is a salary cap at all. The collective bargaining agreement is over this year unless the league and players can come to a new agreement.
The cap was supposed to be increased by 7 million for a total of 123 million per team. They made adjustments to the current CBA which will increase the total to about 128 million that can be spent on players. The 12 million is the largest increase in the past three years.
Basically what this means is that teams will have almost another million to spend in there cap this year. On Friday Greg Aiello said that there was going to be a “cash adjustment” of 947,000 of additional cap room.
Almost $4 million in cap room was already added earlier this year. The changes came after spending on players fell below 60 percent of the leagues total revenue in 2008.
The adjustments, first reported by FoxSports.com, do not affect the minimum team salary of $107,748,000.
Aiello said the most recent adjustment would typically carry over to next season's salary cap, but that isn't possible after NFL owners decided last year to opt out of the CBA with two years remaining. Unless a new agreement is reached, there will be no salary cap in 2010.
Recently hired NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith said earlier this month that he speaks three or four times per week with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, although Aiello said Friday negotiations had not begun on an agreement.
"Negotiations with the NFLPA on a new CBA have not commenced," Aiello said. "We have two more seasons to go on the current deal."
The process likely won't be easy with the economy in turmoil, but Smith has said he's hopeful of reaching a deal to avoid a work stoppage for the 2011 season.
NFL owners will likely discuss their strategy for negotiating a new agreement next week at the NFL Spring Meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
This could help teams like the Panthers who are tight on salary cap room.
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