Eagles 2026 Salary Cap Deep Dive: $48M in Dead Money, $18M in Space, and How Philly Stacks Up Against the NFC East

The Philadelphia Eagles are staring down one of the most complex salary cap situations in the NFL heading into 2026 free agency. With approximately $18.2 million in available cap space and a staggering $48 million in dead money, Howie Roseman has his work cut out for him — but if you think that means the Eagles are in trouble, you haven't been paying attention to how this front office operates.

The Dead Money Problem That Isn't Really a Problem

According to Over The Cap, the Eagles currently carry $48,032,213 in dead cap space — placing them among the top seven teams in the NFL. The biggest culprits: Bryce Huff ($16.6M), Darius Slay ($13.3M), James Bradberry ($7.7M), and Brandon Graham ($4.4M). That number could balloon to nearly $80 million when voided contracts accelerate, with Dallas Goedert alone accounting for $20.5 million in potential dead cap.

Here's the thing: dead money is the cost of doing business Roseman's way. He pays stars now, spreads cap hits across future years, and accepts dead money as the price of keeping a competitive roster year after year. The cap rises by $20-30 million annually — projected at roughly $303 million for 2026 — which means today's dead money gets absorbed by tomorrow's cap growth. It's not reckless. It's calculated.

Key Contract Decisions on the Horizon

The most pressing decision involves Dallas Goedert. The tight end's contract carries over $20 million in dead cap, but a post-June 1 release would split that hit across two years, creating $12.9 million in immediate savings with just $7.5 million in residual dead money. There's also a scenario where Goedert gets an extension that restructures his cap number to roughly $9 million per year over three seasons. Either way, Roseman has options.

Michael Carter II, acquired at the 2025 trade deadline, is a likely cap casualty. He was always a rental, and moving on frees up additional space. Beyond those two, expect Roseman to deploy his signature move: converting base salaries into signing bonuses on stars like Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown, pushing cap hits into future years where the rising cap absorbs them painlessly.

NFC East Cap Comparison: Eagles in the Middle, Cowboys in Crisis

The NFC East cap landscape is wildly uneven heading into free agency. The Washington Commanders are sitting pretty with $73.7 million in cap space — fifth-most in the NFL — giving them massive spending power to build around Jayden Daniels. The New York Giants have just $5.1 million, ranking 20th, leaving them constrained as they try to figure out their quarterback situation.

Then there are the Dallas Cowboys, dead last in the NFL at negative $24.6 million. Dallas is in a genuine cap crunch with limited flexibility. Reports suggest they'll rely heavily on restructures rather than cuts, but there's no denying they're in a significantly worse position than Philadelphia. The Eagles' $18.2 million in space looks modest, but compared to Dallas, it's a luxury — and Roseman can manufacture another $20-30 million through restructures before the tampering period opens on March 9.

The Bottom Line

The Eagles' cap situation looks scary on paper. Nearly $50 million in dead money, barely $18 million in space, and potential for that dead cap to climb toward $80 million. But this is by design. Roseman has operated this way for years, and the results speak for themselves — two Super Bowl appearances in four seasons. The 2026 cap is projected around $303 million, and with TV deal renegotiations coming after 2029 that could push the cap to $400-500 million, the money Roseman is pushing into the future will look like pocket change.

While the Cowboys drown in red ink and the Giants scrape by with $5 million, the Eagles have a clear path to being active in free agency. Expect a Goedert resolution, a handful of restructures, and Roseman working his usual cap magic. The window isn't closing — it's just getting more expensive to keep it open. And nobody in the NFL manages that cost better than Howie Roseman.