Dead money is a salary cap charge for a player who is no longer on a team's roster. It exists because of how salary cap accounting rules operate.Signing bonuses, option bonuses and certain roster bonuses are prorated or spread out evenly over the life of a contract for a maximum of five years. When a player is released, traded or retires, the remaining proration of these salary components immediately accelerate onto his team's current salary cap.There are two major exceptions to this general rule of bonus proration accelerating. Only the current year's proration counts toward the cap with players released, traded or retiring after June 1. The bonus proration in future contract years is delayed until the following league year, which typically begins in early-to-mid-March.A team can also release two players each league year prior to June 2 (known as a post-June 1 designation) who will be treated under the cap as if released after June 1. With a post-June 1 designation, a team is required to carry the player's full cap number until June 2 even though he is no longer a part of the roster. The player's salary comes off the books at that time unle s it is guaranteed. This means dead money is typically a sunk cost where money isn't owed to a player. A payment is a sociated with dead money when there are Mikkel Boedker Kids Jersey salary guarantees at the time of release or departure comes after the player has already begun receiving a portion of his compensation in that particular league year.Exce sive dead money can inhibit a team's ability to field a competitive team. The salary cap room needed to be active in free agency or give contract extensions to important players on the team shrinks.There are 19 players with at least $10 million in dead money for 2022. Here's a look at the players responsible for the 20 largest amounts of dead money this year. Potential dead money subject to a grievance is not included in the calculations. Neither are potential expenses from termination pay since a player must submit paperwork during a small timeframe right after the regular season ends in order to collect. The Collective Chris Kelly Men Jersey Bargaining Agreement's $295 daily amount for participating in a team's voluntary offseason workout program is also included in dead money when applicable.Under this definition of dead money, the $12,826,820 cap charge the have for using a post-June 1 designation on isn't included because he was re-signed to a more cap friendly contract a couple of weeks later. If Cox had signed with another team, he would be among the 20 players. IND QB #2 CMP%68.4YDs2008TD9INT9YD/Att6.76 The record for dead money the Eagles set with last year at $33,820,611 was shattered when the Falcons traded Ryan to the for a 2022 third-round pick in March. Ryan had the NFL's most leveraged contract thanks to four contract restructures for salary cap purposes since becoming the NFL's first $30 million per year player on a five-year, $150 million extension in 2018. The first restructure took place in March 2019 when $8.75 million of Ryan's 2019 base salary was converted into signing bonus to create $7 million of immediate cap space. Ryan's 2020 through 2023 cap numbers each increased by $1.75 million in the proce s.The second restructure occurred in December 2019 right before the end of the regular season. $12.5 million of Ryan's 2020 base salary was turned into an option bonus where his 2023 contract year became an option year that was picked up the following March. This maneuver cleared $9.375 million of 2020 cap space while raising Ryan's 2021 through 2023 cap numbers each by $3.125 million.A third salary conversion was done in March 2020. $6.95 million of Ryan's 2020 base salary was converted into signing bonus. Ryan's 2020 cap number further decreased by $5,212,500. His 2021 through 2023 cap number each increased by $1,737,500. The last restructure took place in March 2021. $21 million of Ryan's 2021 base salary became a fully guaranteed roster bonus to give the Falcons $ Nikita Zaitsev Women Jersey 14 million of immediate cap relief. Ryan's 2022 and 2023 cap numbers jumped by $7 million each to become $48,662,500 and $43,612,500, respectively. Ryan had the NFL's largest cap number for 2022 prior to his trade.The Falcons were planning on restructuring Ryan's contract for a fifth time before a failed pursuit to acquire via trade. Ryan decided a fresh start was best after the Falcons tried to replace him.The Falcons picked up $8,137,500 of 2022 cap room by moving Ryan. His $43,612,500 2023 cap number also came off Atlanta's books with the trade. DEN QB #3 CMP%58.8YDs1694TD6INT4YD/Att7.43 Wilson got the change of scenery he desired by waiving his no-trade clause. He was dealt to the with a 2022 fourth-round pick for 2022 and 2023 first-round picks, 2022 and 2023 second-round picks, a 2022 fifth-round pick Chris Wideman Kids Jersey and multiple veteran players (tight end , defensive lineman and quarterback ) in March. Wilson had two years left on the four-year extension he signed in 2019 containing a then record $65 million signing bonus, which accounts for the $26 million in dead money, when he was traded. The Seahawks picked up $11 million of 2022 cap space by moving Wilson. LAC OLB #52 Mack established a new record for dead money with a non-quarterback. The Bears sending Mack to the for a 2022 second-round pick and a 2023 sixth-round pick was the first sign new general manager Ryan Poles was rebuilding after a 6-11 record in 2021. The six-year extension Mack signed in 2018 that made him the league's highest paid non-quarterback at $23.5 million per year when acquired from the runs through the 2024 season. There would have been just $6.8 million of dead money from Mack's original $34 million signing bonus without contract restructures in 2019 and 2021 where $13 million and $15 million were converted to signing bonus to create cap room. A voiding/dummy 2025 contract year was added in the 2021 contract restructure. CLE QB #4 Watson's divorce this year from the Texans was inevitable. He demanded a trade from the Texans early in the 2021 offseason despite signing a four-year, $156 million extension which had a $27 million signing bonus several months earlier. The numerous sexual a sault and misconduct allegations Watson was facing made a trade in 2021 a practical impo sibility. By mutual agreement, Watson was kept on the Texans' 53-man roster in 2021 where he was paid his full salary although he wasn't in uniform for games and didn't practice with the team. Watson (and a 2024 sixth-round pick) was dealt to the for 2022, 2023 and 2024 first-round picks, a 2022 fourth-round pick, a 2023 third-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick in March while he was still facing the allegations Chris Neil Women Jersey . Surprisingly, Watson was given a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract in the proce s despite having four years remaining on the extension he had previously signed. The Texans gained $24.2 mi