How NFL Dead-Cap Charges Work Explainer
Dead money is a salary-cap charge for compensation a team has already paid or guaranteed but has not yet counted against the cap. It can remain after the player is traded, released, or retires because accounting for the contract does not disappear when the roster relationship ends.
Signing bonuses are the usual example. The cash is paid up front, but cap accounting spreads the amount over eligible contract years. If the player leaves early, the unaccounted portion generally accelerates, subject to the timing and transaction rules that can divide charges between seasons.
A restructure can create room now by converting salary into bonus and spreading the cap hit forward. That does not erase the obligation; it moves accounting into later years and can create more dead money if the player is no longer on the roster then.
Dead cap is therefore a record of past decisions consuming present capacity. It is not an extra payment made only because a player was cut. When evaluating a move, compare the player’s scheduled cap number, the dead charge, the immediate savings, and any future acceleration.
No. It often represents cash or guarantees already committed but not yet charged against the cap.
They move current salary into bonus accounting spread over later years, leaving more unallocated charge if the player departs early.
Yes. Savings depend on the scheduled cap charge minus the dead money created by the move.
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