NFL salary cap expected to jump to $165 million in 2017

The NFL’s quick-rising salary cap isn’t slowing and is expected to eclipse $160 million for the 2017 season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Next season’s salary cap is projected to be between $163 million and $165 million, up nearly $10 million from the $155.27 million cap for the 2016 season. That’s another significant jump for a cap that was just $123 million in 2013.

Considering recent history, that could be a low estimate as the salary cap typically sails north of projections:

The salary cap is a reflection of the income of NFL teams through ticket sales, merchandise, television deals, or other ways. So while many questioned dipping ratings early in the season, another jump in the cap is a sign that business is still good for NFL owners.

It also means business will be good for players, who are receiving bigger contracts than ever. A year ago, NFL teams combined to spend nearly $2 billion of guaranteed money in the first days of free agency, with the New York Giants alone committing over $100 million guaranteed in new contracts.

In February 2016, the salary cap received another boost when an investigation found the NFL used a loophole to stash more than $100 million in revenue under a category that wasn’t required to be shared. The NFLPA filed a grievance, and an independent arbitrator forced the money to be introduced into the pool, upping the salary cap by about another $1.5 million.

The NFL’s salary cap jumped from $123 million in 2013 to $133 million in 2014 to $143.28 million in 2015. If it reaches $165 million for the 2017 season, that would represent a more than 34 percent increase in the cap over only four years.

When contracts expire at the end of the 2016 league year, the Cleveland Browns are projected to lead the way with well over $100 million in free cap space, per Spotrac, followed by the San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Tennessee Titans.