Dallas Cowboys Salary Cap 2022: How much cap space do they have?

The Dallas Cowboys have the pieces to be a Super Bowl contender. With offensive and defensive coordinators returning from last season, the Cowboys can contend for their first Super Bowl berth since 1996. Especially on the defensive side, the unit became one of the best defensive units in the league last season, and it was a big reason why the Cowboys returned to the playoffs. Like any other team in the salary cap era, Dallas will have to navigate through their roster and make tough decisions on who to cut, sign, and add to remain under the salary cap while remaining in contention.

Dallas Cowboys salary cap situation for the 2022 NFL season

Next year’s NFL cap will be $208 million. The Cowboys can only carry over approximately $3.5 million of last season’s cap space and apply it toward their 2022 cap, which means their overall cap figures to be $211.5 million. Considering every player under contract, the Cowboys will be over the salary cap and not have room to sign additional players without renegotiating current contracts or outright releasing certain players.

As it currently stands with the roster, the Cowboys’ cap value going into next season is at $217.7 million with a total of 43 players under contract, according to Roster Management System. Of the $217.7 million, almost $6.86 million will be dead money or salary earmarked for players who are no longer on the roster. Since they are nearly $6 million over the salary cap of $211.5 million, the Cowboys will have to get creative and restructure several contracts or cut certain players to get under the cap.

As reported by ESPN, the player that takes up the most cap space is quarterback Dak Prescott with his cap number set at $34.45 million. The Cowboys’ front office could restructure Prescott’s contract to free up as much as $15 million. Additionally, the team could cut wide receiver Amari Cooper and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence to free up an additional $24 million. While those moves have yet to occur, numerous reports have indicated that the Cowboys are leaning towards cutting the two longtime fixtures on offense and defense.

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There are other scenarios and other players that the Cowboys could release to remain under the salary cap, but right now, the team cannot make big waves in free agency since they are over the lid. Keeping the coordinators was a big deal in setting themselves up for success next season. Now, the front office focuses on rounding out their roster to maximize their increasingly smaller window for a Super Bowl run.