With a rising salary cap in 2026, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers secure significant financial flexibility to retain key players and strategically manage future contracts.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with every NFL team, will see their projected salary cap increase to somewhere between $301. 2 million and $305.7 million, the league announced Friday.
That's up from the more than $279.2 million for 2025, though not as sizable of an increase as the nearly $24 million rise from 2024's $255.4 million to where 2025's salary cap ended up.
But the 2026 projected increase marks the third consecutive year each NFL team's salary cap has grown by at least $22 million.
What the updated ceiling projections offer NFL teams is significant, and reflects the league's continued popularity and profitability. Depending on each team's available cap space, front offices will be in a better position to bolster their rosters; provide contract-structure flexibility to push some cap spending into the future; or cover their cap debts.
In Tampa, when the new league year begins on March 11, the Buccaneers will have nearly $14.5 million in available cap space, according to Spotrac, which currently projects the salary cap maximum for 2026 to settle at $303,450,000.
That ranks the Bucs right around the middle of the pack, at No. 17, in cap room, right behind the Baltimore Ravens, with roughly $22.8 million, and the Carolina Panthers, with $11.7 million.
Before the start of business on March 11, salary-cap outlooks range from the team with most available cap space, the Tennessee Titans with just over $99 million, to the 32nd-ranked team, the Kansas City Chiefs, who are an estimated $57.6 million in the hole.
Teams have a number of ways to create wiggle room every season to stay cap-compliant or, in cases in which teams' salary caps are in the red, to minimize or carry over their debt load until the following fiscal year.
Currently, that is not a problem for the Buccaneers, who are heading into free agency and possible contract extension negotiations knowing they have room to maneuver to keep re-sign several high-production veterans on board, while restructuring numerous players' contracts in order to create cap space for other spending.
Tampa Bay also has the fourth-lowest dead-cap totals of any NFL team, with just $253,922 lost to commitments to players no longer on the roster. (The team with the lowest dead cap is Kansas City, with $215,642; while the New Orleans Saints own a whopping $90.6 million in sunk costs against the cap for 2026.)
The bump the Bucs will get from the 2026 salary-cap ceiling will likely get added to as the team opts to restructure some contracts, such as those of offensive tackles Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke, and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. Reworking these contracts now will create dead cap down the road, though that might be a bargain the Bucs are willing to chance.
One restructure that's likely not going to be a priority for Tampa Bay, according to the PewterReport's Joshua Queipo, is Baker Mayfield's contract, as the starting quarterback will weigh down the team's dead cap with an estimated $30 million in 2027 -- and restructuring his deal would likely add to the dead money at a time when an aging Mayfield will potentially be more banged up and likely less dynamic under center.
PewterReport also notes that at least three of the Bucs' Class of 2022 draft picks have worked their way into key starting positions -- defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, offensive guard Cody Mauch and linebacker Yaya Diaby -- all of whom are eligible for contract extensions.
And Tampa Bay also is looking at whether to re-sign several veterans who are about to become free agents, including receiver Mike Evans and Lavonte David, and five others such as running back Rachaad White and tight end Cade Otten. White has indicated he will not return, and David appears, at 36, ready to announce his retirement.
Whoever re-signs and whoever opts to leave also will help determine how much Tampa will have available to free-agency signings and ultimately how much cap room the team will take further into the offseason as the free-agency and draft dust settle.
ㅤ
Join the Community! Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news! It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Category: General Sports
