Well, here we are again Bills Mafia, gearing up for this year’s Super Bowl saying it should be the Buffalo Bills representing the AFC. Outside of the Kansas City Chiefs who are seeking a three-peat, no other team has been as successful as the Bills over the last few years. The Bills have now lost four times to the Chiefs in the playoffs, three of which have come in heartbreaking fashion.
What is starting to look like the greatest dynasty the NFL has ever seen is ultimately the only roadblock that has stopped the Bills from having what would likely be a minimum of multiple Super Bowl appearances in the last few years.
The most heartbreaking loss is the most recent one that we’re just about two weeks removed from. It was the closest the Bills had come to defeating the Chiefs and it slipped through their fingers, literally. It was yet another game where the Bills’ infamous playoff defense got gashed, and Josh Allen played superhero just for a teammate to let him down in the biggest and most clutch moment. Despite the pain Bills Mafia has been feeling of yet another shortcoming, there is tons of optimism that comes with the loss.
Unlike years past, it is extremely clear the Bills’ future is bright. The media declaring the Bills window was shut, had to eat their words; as Josh Allen and Sean McDermott led the least talented Bills team in the Josh Allen era, to the AFC Championship. Despite entering the season with $75 million in dead cap, the 2nd most in the league entering the year, they went somewhere they weren’t supposed to.
Despite taking their own medicine this year to clean up the salary cap, they had a thirteen-win season, won a fifth-straight AFC East division title, and were four points shy from playing in the Super Bowl. Taking a look at the state of the Bills’ salary cap is the best place to begin your offseason Bills research, and we’ve got you covered with a deep dive.
The Buffalo Bills 2025 cap situation
As mentioned, the Bills came into last season paying the second most dead cap in the league. They had $75 million allocated to players not on their team anymore, which made up nearly 29% of their salary cap spending in 2024. Thankfully, thanks to great work by Bills general manager Brandon Beane for getting ahead of a plummeting cap situation early, that number is drastically dropping in 2025. The Bills as of now, are only on the hook for $5.4 million in dead cap which is ranked as 21st in the league. That is likely to go up a little depending on what veterans get cut before the new league year begins, but it will not hold the team back this year.
The NFL salary cap has not been officially set yet, but it is projected to be between $265 to $275 million for the 2025 season. A $10+ million increase from last season, thanks to massive television and streaming deals.
That would put the Bills in line to be about $10-to-$12 million over the cap. That means the Bills have to trim that amount to get cap compliant by the time the new league year rolls around on March 12, at 4:00 p.m. e.t. That number is a breath of fresh air compared to the Bills being over $50 million last off-season.
While it’s not fair to expect the Bills to go on a spending spree and add the top free agents, the Bills can clear money to make some moves. It is almost all but guaranteed the Bills will be an improved team next season. Here’s how they can clear some cap space.