Let's Discuss

The Cap Is Up. So Is the Gap

What's going on: The NFL is having a full-on Jerry Maguire moment. Just last week, the league announced it had raised the salary cap to a record $301.2 million per team, according to The Athletic. That’s a $22 million jump from last year, more than 40% in four years, and nearly double what it was a decade ago. Clearly, business is booming. The cap rises with league revenue, so the more the NFL makes, the more teams have to spend. Though it’s designed to make the game more competitive, the cap puts a ceiling on what its biggest stars take home. For context, the quarterback’s salary tag sits at $43.9 million, per ESPN. And if you’re wondering how that compares to women’s sports leagues, well, prepare to throw a flag — or anything within reach.

Tell me more: Warning, the following might make your blood boil. For the 2025 season, the National Women’s Soccer League had a team salary cap of $3.5 million. The Professional Women’s Hockey League has a $1.34 million per team cap, with player minimum salaries just above $37,000 a year, per The Athletic. So, we did the math — the NFL’s cap increase is more than 16 times that. (Now ice is running through our veins.) Meanwhile, the Women’s National Basketball Association players are in a full-on fight for their share. The league’s latest proposal could push team caps from $1.5 million to around $5.75 million and projected player minimums past $230,000. But the deal still isn’t done — and the 2026 season hangs in the balance.

Related: A Sold-Out Unrivaled Crowd Had a Very Loud Message for the WNBA (X)