I was talking with a buddy of mine the other day about NFL salaries and the suspension of players. We got talking about if those suspended players count against the cap or not and were pretty stumped. After some research, I’ve come to realize that the answer is complicated.
Initially, this seemed like a simple yes or no answer. But after considering the nuances of the NFL’s salary cap system, I quickly realized it’s a far more complicated question. The truth is, it depends on when the suspension is issued and what type of suspension it is.
Let’s start with the basics: The NFL salary cap is a set ceiling that all teams must abide by; this is the amount of money you’re allowed to pay your players. If a team exceeds this ceiling, that team is penalized. A suspension, regardless of the reason, doesn’t go against the salary cap.
However, if the suspension begins in the season, the team can request the league to adjust the salary cap accordingly. The team can then place the player on the suspended list and his salary will not be counted against the salary cap for that year. That being said, because the player’s salary is still paid, his pay still counts against the cap in the future.
Additionally, the type of suspension also matters. Most of the time, it’s the NFL that issues a player suspension, whether it’s for four games or longer. If it is the NFL issuing the suspension, the team is permitted to waive the player and his salary does not count against the cap. If the player is suspended by the team, however, his salary continues to count against the cap even when he isn’t playing.
Overall, the answer to the question of whether or not a suspended player counts against the salary cap is fairly complex. It comes down to when the suspension is issued and what type it is. After considering all the factors, it’s clear the answer isn’t quite so straightforward.
We’ve only scratched the surface in thinking about whether or not a suspended player counts against the cap. What about a player that has been banned from the league? Are their salaries still counted against the salary cap? After all, they are still receiving money from the team despite being ineligible to play.
If a banned player’s salary still counts against the cap, how are teams supposed to account for the money they lose from in-game revenue when a player is suspended? Teams that face major losses in the middle of a season should be able to make adjustments to the salary cap accordingly.
It seems like suspensions are going to become an even bigger part of the NFL going forward, especially with increasing concerns about player safety. Will teams be able to adjust the salary cap when players are sitting out due to injury or safety related concerns? Or will these decisions be made on a case-by-case basis?
We also need to think about the long-term effects of player suspensions. Is it fair for teams to be hamstrung by a player’s suspension years down the road? If a player’s suspension applies only to the current season, then no, it should not count against the cap. But if a player has been banned for a long period of time, his salary could have diverse effects on the team’s future finances.
And finally, how is the effect of a suspension calculated? Are all players equally penalized when it comes to missing games? Or will the number of games missed be taken into account when making the decision?
Player suspensions are something that the NFL will have to address in the future. It’s a good thing to see that teams are being afforded some flexibility when it comes to the salary cap for players that are suspended, but there are certainly some unanswered questions when it comes to how the suspensions are handled and what the implications of these suspensions may be.