How are Atlanta Falcons Spending Their Money in the NFL?
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team that represents the National Football Conference South division in the National Football League. The Falcons joined the NFL as an expansion club in 1965, after then-owner Rankin Smith was awarded a franchise by the league to deter him from joining the rival American Football League.
The Falcons have a 379–487–6 record in their 55 years of existence, with division titles in 1980, 1998, 2004, 2010, 2012, and 2016. The Falcons have played in two Super Bowls, the first in 1998 when they lost 34–19 to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII, and the second 18 years later, when they fell 34–28 in overtime to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI.
It’s fair to say that the Falcons have been successful in their division. However, if the team wants to fight for the championship, they will have to spend on quality signings. Here’s a detailed list of the Falcons’ spending in the NFL.
Atlanta Falcons – Spendings in NFL
| Position | Cap Hit | League Rank | League Average | Differential (in $) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterback | $5.1 million | 32 | $19.5 million | -14.4 million |
| Running back/Full back | $8.3 million | 22 | $11.6 million | -3.3 million |
| Tight End | $12.9 million | 9 | $11.4 million | 1.5 million |
| Wide Receiver | $14 million | 29 | $23.4 million | -9.4 million |
| Offensive Lineman | $33.6 million | 18 | $37.3 million | -3.7 million |
| Defensive Lineman | $24.6 million | 26 | $35.2 million | -10.6 million |
| Linebacker | $28.3 million | 10 | $25.4 million | 2.9 million |
| Defensive Back | $23.7 million | 30 | $35.6 million | -11.9 million |
| Special Team | $5.1 million | 23 | $6.6 million | -1.5 million |
| Total | $155.5 million | 32 | $206.1 million | -50.6 million |
| Dead Money | $63.04 million | 1 | $29.5 million | 33.54 million |
The Falcons are paying $56 million in dead cap money in order to avoid having Matt Ryan and Julio Jones play for them. That’s 27% of the Falcons’ salary cap in 2022. Non-Falcons get a quarter of the cap, which is huge. The Falcons will be able to spend their entire salary limit in 2023, which could be approximately $225 million. Atlanta has spent $183.3 million of their 2023 limit on player wages thus far.
