The NFL's announcement last week that the salary cap will be $255.4 million in 2024 was welcome news for the general manager of the team currently most over the cap.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane, whose team is currently about $40 million over the 2024 cap and still has a few weeks to get under it, said on PFT Live that it was a big relief that the cap exceeded $255 million as Beane prepared for roster moves to drop below $245 million.
“Our first challenge is to get back under control of our cap and get under it,” Beane said. “I was excited when I saw the value at 255 versus 245. We assumed it would be in the mid 240s, we were actually conservative and expected a little lower. When I heard it was going to be closer to 250 to 240 I thought that's good, maybe it's 248. Comes out at 255 and saves you. Maybe it’s one less man you have to lay off or restructure.”
Beane said the Bills want to retain as many good players as possible while having an elite quarterback, Josh Allen, in his prime. But he said he also doesn't want to put the Bills in a situation where they would spend so much money to win since they are in an impossible salary cap situation in the coming years.
“You don’t want to just give everyone a credit card and just pile it up,” Beane said. “At some point it’s due, so you try to balance it out. I don't want to go in 2025 or 2026 and say, 'We've got to get $112 million, how do we even get into the season?'”
The Bills still have to make some difficult moves to get under the cap this season, but the higher cap makes that job much easier.