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Jacksonville Jaguars 2025 offseason: How much cap space, dead cap does the team have?
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- Jacksonville Jaguars 2025 offseason: How much cap space, dead cap does the team have?
The Jacksonville Jaguars are officially in full swing of their offseason after owner Shad Khan worked quickly to find the team's next head coach, Liam Coen .
The team continues to work through interviews this week with potential general manager targets , a hire that could happen at any moment. Jacksonville recently hired Hall of Famer Tony Boselli as the team's executive vice president of football operations.
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The moves came after Khan opted to fire former head coach Doug Pederson a day after the regular-season finale, opting to fire general manager Trent Baalke a little over a week later as the team worked through the first round of head coach interviews.
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The change comes as the team looks to get back on track following a disappointing, injury-riddled 4-13 season. They'll have to make multiple moves this offseason via free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft to compete for the AFC South title.
Last offseason, Jacksonville went all-in during free agency, acquiring multiple high-priced players such as safety Darnell Savage , receiver Gabe Davis and defensive lineman Arik Armstead .
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Additionally, the team signed multiple players to short-term, less-expensive deals including cornerback Ronald Darby , center Mitch Morse and return specialist/receiver Devin Duvernay .
The team also brought back one of their own, signing left guard Ezra Cleveland to a multi-year deal.
The team's plans for this year are not fully known because of the multiple changes to the team's coaching staff and front office. But, if the Jaguars want to make a move, they'll have plenty of ways to do so.
Jaguars 2025 offseason: How much cap space does Jacksonville have?
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 15: Shahid Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, talks with Trevor Lawrence #16 before the game against the New York Jets at EverBank Stadium on December 15, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
The Jaguars enter the 2025 offseason with the 17th-most cap space in the league, according to OverTheCap at $32,276,564 as of Feb. 10.
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The space noted by OTC is a projection based on what the league is likely to make the 2025 salary cap. The league has not yet announced what the cap will be, but it's projected to be between $265-$275 million. For reference, last year's salary cap was set at $255.4 million, so the increase would be at least $10 million this year.
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Jaguars' top cap-hit players could be put under a microscope
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk (13) lies on the turf after sustaining an unknown injury as tight end Evan Engram (17) reacts during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Packers edged the Jaguars 30-27 on a last-second field goal. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
The Jaguars are entering untested waters right now. Under Khan, the team has not done a full rebuild of their coaching and front office staff since he brought in general manager Dave Caldwell and head coach Gus Bradley ahead of the 2013 season.
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Since then, the team has undergone multiple half-measures, with a coach or GM leaving, but rarely at the same time.
With new, fresh voices presumably entering the building over the coming weeks, it might change the outlook for multiple players, including the team's top two cap-hit players — receiver Christian Kirk and tight end Evan Engram .
Kirk represents a cap hit of $24,089,882 in 2025 (highest cap hit on the team), while Engram will account for $19,485,294 against the cap (second-highest cap hit on the team). Both players are entering the final year of their respective deals with the team.
Kirk originally signed a four-year, $72 million contract with Jacksonville ahead of the 2022 season with $37 million fully guaranteed. Currently, Kirk has earned over $54 million with the team, according to OTC.
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Engram signed a three-year contract extension worth $41.25 million ahead of the 2023 season after signing a one-year deal in free agency the previous season.
Both players missed multiple games due to injury last year. Kirk accounted for just 27 catches for 379 yards and a touchdown through eight games, while Engram caught 47 passes for 365 yards and a TD through nine games. Both players ended their seasons on injured reserve.
If the Jaguars moved on from Kirk, they'd save $10,437,882 but have $13,652,000 in dead money. They'd save $5,985,294 by releasing Engram with $13.5 million in dead money. It should be noted that $1.5 million of Engram's salary becomes guaranteed on March 17.
What is dead money and how does it impact cap space? How much dead money do the Jaguars have in 2025?
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris (95) finishes a drill during the third day of an NFL football training camp practice Friday, July 26, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla.
Dead cap or money is the portion of the team's salary cap allocated to players no longer on the roster. For example, if a player is released, traded or retires before their contract expires, but the team still owes them guaranteed money, the money continues to count against the team's salary cap.
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In the above examples, the Jaguars would save money, but not as much as they would if the players were coming off their books cleanly without any guarantees or prorated money due.
For the 2025 offseason, the Jaguars have $8,240,468 in total dead cap split between defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris and offensive lineman Blake Hance.
Robertson-Harris was traded to the Seattle Seahawks after Week 6 after signing a three-year deal with the team in 2023.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars 2025 salary cap: Who may get cut before NFL draft?
