Big-Name NFL Players Who Could Get Cut This Offseason

Four teams are still fighting for their shot to bring home the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LVI. Meanwhile, the rest of the league's franchises have turned their attention to the upcoming NFL draft and free agency.

Before then, teams will need to get their salary caps in tip-top shape. Eight teams are currently in the red, while four more have less than $10 million in cap space. Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the 2022 NFL salary cap is expected to be $208.2 million, a sizable jump from the $182.5 ceiling this past season.

However, that's not going to be enough to get some teams out of the red. One of the first things teams will look to do is evaluate the bloated or unnecessary contracts on their payroll and see if there are savings to be had with cuts or trades.

The following six big-name NFL players were identified as potential cap casualties based on how much their club would save if they were cut and the fact that circumstances within their teams mean that their place on the team is no longer as crucial moving forward.

They also have suggested landing spots based on other clubs' estimated cap space and needs.

All salary-cap figures from Over the Cap.

If cut, 49ers save: $25.6 million

Improbably, Jimmy Garoppolo and the No. 6 San Francisco 49ers squeaked out a 13-10 win against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round.

But Garoppolo, who has struggled with ball security this season, didn't make it easy on his team. He threw for only 131 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception against Green Bay.

It's hard to imagine these 49ers defeating the red-hot Rams if Garoppolo continues to put the ball in harm's way. That means that as soon as next week, general manager John Lynch will need to be thinking about the future of San Francisco's quarterback position.

Remember that Lynch—on Christmas Eve mass with his family— "accidentally and unknowingly" liked a tweet about Garoppolo being left in Nashville following a loss to the Tennessee Titans. Regardless of whether Lynch meant to or not, the time has come for the team to let Garoppolo go.

The team currently only has $11 million in cap space. However, they would save $25.6 million by cutting Garoppolo. Third-overall 2021 pick Trey Lance is the 49ers' future, and after having a season to sit and learn Kyle Shanahan's offense, it's time to move into the next phase.

Potential landing spot: Carolina Panthers. Carolina is desperate to find a short-term quarterback solution until they can draft their future franchise player, as it's evident that Sam Darnold and Cam Newton aren't the answer. The Panthers have a bit more cap space to work with than San Francisco, with $19 million.

If cut, Bears save: $3 million

The Chicago Bears are in a similar situation to the San Francisco 49ers when it comes to the quarterback position. They've got their guy of the future in Justin Fields, and if the veteran (in this case, Nick Foles) is going to be playing backup, he's earning way too much to do it.

There are quite a few teams that would be happy for Foles' services. He was underused and mismanaged with the Bears, sitting behind Andy Dalton and Fields on the depth chart.

In reality, both Foles and Dalton are at a level where they should each be primary backups—not relegated to third-string on the depth chart.

Foles would count $10.6 million against the Bears' salary cap if he's retained; they could, in turn, save $3 million by cutting him. Chicago's cap isn't in terrible shape, with about $30 million in space, but wide receiver Allen Robinson II and defensive tackle Akiem Hicks are about to become unrestricted free agents.

When trade rumors were swirling around Foles earlier this season, fans were surprised to learn that even though he didn't have a no-trade clause, the Bears did not want to send him somewhere he didn't want to go.

When the offseason hits, they can cut him loose to sign wherever he wants and decrease their cap hit in the process.

Potential landing spot: New York Jets. The Jets need an established veteran backup behind Zach Wilson, and they're in great shape with the cap, projected to have the fifth-most space of any team ($48 million).

If cut, Panthers save: $273,000

In the scenarios we've laid out so far, the Carolina Panthers sign Jimmy Garoppolo to be their stopgap at quarterback until they can draft their future franchise player, making Sam Darnold's presence on the roster redundant.

This wouldn't necessarily be a move for the Panthers to improve their cap health; by cutting Darnold, Carolina would save only $273,000. But it's highly unlikely a team would be willing to trade for Darnold and his $18.5 in guaranteed money in 2022.

Still, Darnold is just 24 years old and has time to develop in a new offense. His past season in Carolina wasn't great, recording 2,527 passing yards, nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 11 starts, but he has shown flashes.

Darnold's 2019 season, in which he completed 61.9 percent of his passes and had 19 touchdowns, 13 picks and 3,024 yards in 13 starts, isn't that far in the rearview mirror.

Potential landing spot: Houston Texans. The Texans have a giant question mark at quarterback as Deshaun Watson's departure seems all but certain after he sat out the season amid an NFL investigation into the 22 civil lawsuits and 10 criminal complaints accusing him of sexual assault and misconduct.

While the Texans figure out what to do with Watson, Darnold would be fine competition for Davis Mills in training camp or backup in the regular season.

If cut, Saints save: $2.3 million

The Saints are in desperate need of dramatic solutions to solve their cap woes. They are a whopping $74 million over the cap, and while saving $2.3 million by cutting Mark Ingram is a tiny drop in that bucket, it's one smart move they can make that won't have drastic consequences to their on-field performance.

Ingram is 32-years-old and in the final stages of his NFL career. In seven games with the Saints this year, he averaged 3.8 yards per carry and 37.1 rushing yards per game.

He served as a viable complement to Alvin Kamara, but the Saints could turn to Tony Jones Jr. to replicate his production at a fraction of the cost.

While a stint on the injured reserve in October halted the development of the second-year back, Jones will count only $825,000 against the cap in 2022.

Ingram was released as a cap casualty by the Baltimore Ravens before the 2021 season and subsequently signed with the Houston Texans. He was then traded to the Saints, where he played the first eight years of his career.

If he's ready to retire, it would be fitting for him to do so in a Saints uniform. If not, it would be wise for the Saints to move on.

Potential landing spot: While Ingram hasn't publicly suggested he's ready to hang up his cleats, it feels like it might be the right time. His two touchdowns in each of the last two seasons are a far drop-off from the running prowess that made him New Orleans' all-time leader in rushing touchdowns. Injuries limited him to 14 games (10 starts) this past season.

A team with a depleted running backs room might be interested in signing him, but not for a base salary of $2.5 million.

If cut, Bills save: $6.1 million

The Buffalo Bills may have lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in heartbreaking fashion Sunday night, but the future is bright in Buffalo. Quarterback Josh Allen went toe-to-toe in a shootout with Patrick Mahomes, and the passing game ran through young wideout Gabriel Davis.

Cole Beasley played no small role in the game, hooking up with Allen for 60 yards on eight targets. But the Bills' cap isn't very healthy, with $7.5 million in space. Beasley will count $7.6 million against it in 2022, but the Bills could save $6.1 million by cutting him.

Beasley will turn 33 before the start of next season and is something of an anomaly in an otherwise extremely young core group. Allen and Dawson Knox are 25, Davis is 22, running back Devin Singletary is 24 and even veteran Stefon Diggs is only 28.

Beasley was also fined multiple times for violating COVID-19 protocols, deactivated his Twitter account in October after accusing fans of booing him for being unvaccinated and then, in December, said it was "the rules" and not COVID-19 that kept him out of the game against the New England Patriots.

The Bills have enough talent around Josh Allen not to have to deal with that.

Potential landing spot: This is tricky because many teams may be hesitant to bring Beasley into the locker room after he violated league protocols and continued to be vocal on social media.

On the other hand, he isn't due any guaranteed money in 2022, and the Bills may seek to trade him before cutting him outright to save their cap.

If cut, Packers save: $15.3 million

After their shocking loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round, one thing is for certain: Big changes are coming in Green Bay. The question is: On which side of the ball?

The Packers are in big cap trouble, currently sitting $40 million over. They kicked the can down the road in the hopes of winning a Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers, and now the time has come to pay up.

To address their cap woes, the Packers could, of course, trade Aaron Rodgers. If done after June 1, it would save $27.6 million. But if Rodgers sticks around, the Packers will need to move another large contract, and it may likely be 29-year-old defender Za'Darius Smith.

Smith is a locker room leader and a fan favorite, having helped transform the defense since the Packers signed him as a free agent in 2019. He's also set to count $27.7 million against the cap in 2022.

Smith missed all but one game in the regular season, though he did return in the playoffs for a sack. But the injury—combined with the unwieldy cap hit—makes him a prime candidate for an offseason release.

The Packers also have to figure out how to re-sign unrestricted free agents Davante Adams, De'Vondre Campbell, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Robert Tonyan, Rasul Douglas…the list goes on.

Green Bay may look to extend Smith's contract, but the money needs to be freed up from somewhere. Though the Packers would incur a dead cap hit of $12.4 million, the move would free up a crucial $15.3 million.

Potential landing spot: Baltimore Ravens. A reunion with the pass rusher they drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 draft could be a smart move for a Ravens team that recorded 34 sacks in 2021, tied for the ninth-fewest in the league.