A CBA requirement that each NFL team must spend a minimum percentage of the salary cap in actual cash paid to players over a four-year period, preventing teams from hoarding cap space without paying players.
The minimum team cash spending rule, commonly called the "cash floor," ensures that NFL teams cannot simply hoard salary cap space without actually paying players. Under the current CBA, each team must spend at least 89% of the salary cap in actual cash over a rolling four-year period. This is measured in real dollars paid to players, not cap charges, which can differ significantly due to proration, signing bonuses, and other cap accounting mechanisms.
The distinction between cash spending and cap spending is important. A team could technically stay under the salary cap while spending very little actual cash by loading contracts with future obligations and cap charges. The cash floor prevents this by requiring that real money reaches players. If a team falls below the 89% threshold over the four-year window, they must pay the shortfall directly to the players on their roster, typically distributed based on playing time.
In practice, the cash floor rarely comes into play because most teams spend at or near the salary cap. However, it serves as a safeguard against extreme tanking or cost-cutting strategies. Teams in rebuilding modes must be mindful of the cash floor, as cutting veterans and replacing them with minimum-salary players could push their cash spending below the threshold if maintained for too long.
The Bengals were frequently criticized before the 2020 CBA for spending near the minimum. The cash floor rule ensures that even the most frugal organizations must direct a substantial portion of league revenue to their players over any four-year window.
Minimum cash spending = 89% of cumulative salary cap over four-year period Shortfall payment = (89% threshold) - (actual cash spent), distributed to players
Category: CBA & League Rules. Part of the StickToTheModel NFL Encyclopedia.