6 teams the NFL's unexpected salary cap increase benefits most, from the Bengals to the Browns

The 2025 NFL salary cap was expected to land somewhere around $272.5 million -- a record high for a league that effectively prints its own money. On Wednesday, league officials dropped even more good news on free agents and cash-strapped franchises; that spending limit could be as much as $10 million more than initial estimates.

While this year's salary cap hasn't been finalized, the NFL told team executives across its landscape to expect a ceiling between $277.5 million to $281.5 million, per ESPN's Dan Graziano. That's more than $20 million up from last year's $255.4 million cap last fall.

That, paired with a relatively weak crop of free agents, means we're likely to see some bananas contract numbers once the legal tampering period opens up March 12. A player like Malcolm Koonce could approach a nine-figure contract should a frenzy fueled by more than $300 million in extra cash arise. Some teams are set to thrive more than others in what looks like a seller's market.

Let's start with the most obvious winner.

1. Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati's top-heavy roster construction meant retaining Tee Higgins on what could be a contract worth more than $150 million was a big ask. The Bengals had about $45 million to spend this offseason before Wednesday's cap bump but also had to figure out how to overhaul a leaky defense that sank their 2024 postseason dream.

Instead, a $280 million-plus cap means Cincy can keep Higgins with Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase while adding the defensive reinforcements to ensure they won't have to win a shootout each and every week. Just as importantly; retaining Higgins means the AFC's wideout-needy teams won't get him, which would avoid the embarrassment of getting torched by their former draft pick and, say, Bo Nix in a near-future postseason game.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City entered the 2025 offseason with little spending room and several starters to retain -- including Trey Smith, Justin Reid and Nick Bolton (and Marquise Brown, depending on how you want to categorize him). Beyond Wednesday's news, they had an estimated total of less than $1 million to bring back the key players from a dominant three-year run. An extra $8 million won't solve all their problems, but it should help the Chiefs keep their top priority free agents in Missouri.

The question now is who makes the cut. Franchise tagging Smith is probably still a no-go. Bolton is coming off arguably his worst season as a starter. Brown failed to jump-start the passing game once healthy, albeit in a small sample size. Tough decisions loom for the Chiefs -- but they won't be as tough as they were with a $272 million salary cap.

3. Buffalo Bills

The Bills are still an estimated $10 million over the cap -- per, uh, Over the Cap -- and are staring down losses in the secondary (Damar Hamlin, Rasul Douglas) and receiving corps (Amari Cooper, Mack Hollins). Some of those guys won't come back, but there's more leverage here to retain the players head coach Sean McDermott can lead to a postseason breakthrough next winter.

Designating Von Miller a post-June 1 release can free up more than $17 million in spending room. Restructuring deals for foundational players like Josh Allen and Dion Dawkins can create another $20 million in space. Suddenly, a good team has a few more options not just to retain talent but to add more -- especially in a free agent pool filled with veteran receivers who could help extend an MVP quarterback's greatness.

4. Dallas Cowboys (or maybe just Micah Parsons)

On one hand, an expanded salary cap means more competition for Dallas to fight for difference-making additions on the open market. On the other, it's more space for owner Jerry Jones to fit in what will undoubtedly be a market-resetting contract extension for Micah Parsons.

Jones's extended standoffs with CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott led to enormous, expensive deals and extended the kind of salary cap misery that has kept the Cowboys from making shrewd moves or retaining some players they may have otherwise kept. With Parsons staring down a deal starting at five years and $150 million -- and possibly more! -- this additional spending room will at least create the space for Jones to keep some of his more expensive toys in place at AT&T Stadium.

5. Atlanta Falcons

If Kirk Cousins exercises his no-trade clause, he could force the Falcons to release him this offseason rather than roster the NFL's most expensive backup. Cutting him will drop at least $40 million onto Atlanta's salary sheet for a player who will have zero impact on the team in 2025.

Getting 20 percent of that back thanks to an expanded cap won't fix things, but it will help make life a bit easier for Michael Penix Jr.. That could included a renewed push to keep valuable center Drew Dalman in town.

6. Cleveland Browns

Massive cap jumps help a dire situation look a little better in northeast Ohio. The Browns traded three first round picks and more for Deshaun Watson despite him facing more than 20 accusations of sexual misconduct and what the NFL itself deemed "predatory behavior." Then they gave him $230 million fully guaranteed to be the league's 46th-best quarterback before tearing his Achilles in 2024 -- an injury likely to keep him out through 2025.

A single spending bump won't remove the dead albatross from Cleveland's neck, but can at least add an air freshener to the mix. The extra cash means Watson's $72,935,000 cap hit is merely 26 percent of the team's total spending for 2025 instead of 27 percent. It also suggests that his 2024 contract restructuring to spread cash into later years will pay off as the cap grows ahead of schedule into the immediate future.

That lessens the internal need to trade away a star like Myles Garrett to create cap space, though this may not sate Garrett's desire to leave the franchise. Indeed, it's a modest win for the Browns. But modest wins are still wins, and Cleveland's gotta make the most of whatever it can get at this point.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: 6 teams the NFL's unexpected salary cap increase benefits most, from the Bengals to the Browns