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Nearly $200 million in cap space between Falcons and rest of NFC South

By Grayson Freestone

Jan 8, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end Parker Hesse (46) runs after a catch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 8, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end Parker Hesse (46) runs after a catch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Atlanta Falcons will have some money to spend, which is something we haven’t been able to say in many years. In fact, in past years the entire NFC South has been collecting loose pennies to even get under the salary cap.

However, the Falcons have broken that trend by making many difficult moves for their future (thank you, Terry Fontenot). The same cannot be said for the rest of the division which also happened to be the worst division in the NFL this past season. It seems as though Atlanta is the only team with a long-term plan.

Almost $200 million in cap space is separating the Falcons from the other three NFC South teams

You have probably heard it by now but the Atlanta Falcons will be looking at the second-most cap space in the entire league when the new year starts. This gives them the flexibility to craft their team however they wish.

The same cannot be said about their division rivals, though, as each one of them will have to make moves to even avoid a penalty from the NFL for going over the cap, which by the way, could result in a fine of up to $5 million, voided contracts, and/or loss of draft picks. But that is highly unlikely to happen.

Here are the current cap figures for each of the four NFC South teams in 2023, according to Spotrac:

  • Falcons: $56,528,608 (2nd in NFL)
  • Panthers: –$9,562,644 (21st)
  • Saints: –$52,525,434 (31st)
  • Buccaneers: –$55,714,949 (32nd)

When you combine that all up, there is a $174,331,635 difference. It would be a safe bet to say that is an NFL record.

Must read: Cordarrelle Patterson recruits a five-time Pro Bowl WR to Atlanta.

Every team in debt has a plan to get out of the red, which is why you see a lot of fans saying something like “the salary cap doesn’t exist.” Despite that, there is no question that it affects a team’s decision-making, so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Just think about the Falcons last year, they had no money and it denied them the opportunity to make some moves. Do you really think they were happy letting Foye Oluokun walk? Or do you really think they were okay not being able to pursue a top-edge rusher like Hasaan Reddick?

The cap space they have now will open up a whole world of opportunities while they watch their rivals sit in a proverbial jail.

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