Dead cap hits are common in the NFL as franchises deal with such issues for various reasons. Factors that necessitate these hits include but aren’t limited to player retirement, shotgun trades, and the desire to release a difficult personality from the locker room.

Hence, following Stefon Diggs’ trade to the Houston Texans, we will be examining five of the largest single-season dead cap hits in league history. So, without further ado, let’s get to it.

The five biggest cap hits in NFL history

5. Stefon Diggs – $31 million

Following years of rumors, sub-tweets, and playoff letdowns, the Buffalo Bills have finally parted ways with star pass catcher Stefon Diggs. Diggs joins the Texans in a trade involving draft compensation.

Following the trade, it was announced that the Bills would absorb $31 million in dead cap space for the 2024 NFL season. Thankfully, this move frees up a staggering $25 million in salary cap space for next year.

4. Carson Wentz – $33.8 million

Remember when the Eagles ditched Carson Wentz and went full-in on Jalen Hurts? That move cost them $33.8 million, nearly 20 percent of their salary cap in 2021.

However, the move seemingly paid off, with Hurts becoming a borderline top-five quarterback within that time frame. The Eagles have their quarterback now and in the future, while Wentz has become a journeyman backup quarterback.

3. Aaron Rodgers – $40.313 million

Aaron Rodgers signed a three-year, $150-million deal with the Green Bay Packers in 2022. That came after years of speculation that Rodgers was considering a future away from Green Bay. Upon signing his new contract, it was crystal clear to most that the Packers would incur a dead cap hit in the future.

It happened in 2023 when Rodgers joined the New York Jets in a blockbuster trade. The Packers incurred a $40.313 million cap hit, approximately 18% of their 2023 salary cap. They survived the hit and had a postseason run in Jordan Love’s first season as the undisputed starter.

2. Matt Ryan – $40.53 million

Matt Ryan’s departure from the Atlanta Falcons after 14 seasons as their franchise QB cost the team $40.53 million. They incurred the largest dead-cap hit in NFL history at the time.

The Falcons hope Kirk Cousins will be the solution at QB1 to avoid a similar situation in a few years.

1. Russell Wilson – $55 million

The Russell Wilson experiment has crashed and burned, and the Denver Broncos have only themselves to blame. Wilson never found his footing in Denver, and his skill set parallels what Sean Payton wants in a franchise QB.

As such, Wilson left the Broncos with the largest single-season dead cap hit in NFL history. “Denver Broncos, let’s ride!”

Edited by Parag Jain