Rams have the lowest dead cap in 2024 … right now

The Los Angeles Rams officially have to pay just $4.1 million in dead cap hits—the money you pay against the salary cap for players who are no longer with the team—in 2024, which is the lowest amount in the NFL, according to OvertheCap.com. That already seems wrong, because: “What about Aaron Donald?”, a former player who has to pay $25 million for 2024.

If Donald’s amount is included, the $29 million dead cap would essentially tie the Dolphins, Lions and Raiders for 13th-most dead caps in the NFL this season. Three-quarters of the dead cap belongs to Brian Allen ($3.1 million), while the rest is split between Logan Bruss, Coleman Shelton and Robert Rochell.

However, since the Rams have not yet placed Donald on the retired list and have officially kept him on the books — which includes the possibility of AD returning later — and only restructured his contract before his retirement, that money is just salary for now. No dead cap.

“By deferring his salary into the option, the Rams also have the ability to keep Donald on the roster until June if they want and then place him on the retired list. Plus, Donald has months to consider whether he wants to return, since the contract will simply be waiting for him when he returns to the NFL this year or a future year. If the team waits until June, it should be able to split the salary cap over two years, although the cap hit depends on how his signing bonus works out.”

So in a sense, the Rams officially rank 32nd in the NFL in dead cap charges in 2024, which is in stark contrast to having the second-highest dead cap charges in 2023. The Rams had over $75 million in 2023 and are now at $4 million, but in the spirit of what “dead cap” really means, Donald’s $25 million puts LA in the middle of the league. Which is still more than twice as good as $75 million in dead cap.