2026-27 NFL Thread

[MU82]

And now the Colts are sending DeForest Buckner back to the 49ers.

NFC West is bulking up.

[MU82]

From the WSJ:

The Philadelphia Eagles established themselves as one of the NFL's pre-eminent franchises in recent years by assembling a collection of talent that most other teams simply couldn't compete with.

And the key to it all wasn't only general manager Howie Roseman's prescient dealmaking or his knack for finding stars in the draft. It was all made possible through financial accounting wizardry. 

By gaming the league's salary cap, the Eagles built a roster boasting many of the league's best—and most expensive—players. The result was a juggernaut that produced five consecutive playoff berths, two Super Bowl appearances and one Lombardi Trophy over the last half decade.

Now, though, the Eagles have lost five straight. At 2-5, their chances for a turnaround are slim with quarterback Jalen Hurts likely out for the season. And, as the team looks toward the future, it's barreling toward a financial reckoning because of the economic tactics that enabled its success.

That's because Philadelphia didn't escape paying the bill. Instead, it punted costs to the future by tacking on something called void years—effectively dummy years—at the end of contracts. It's a strategy used by plenty of teams, but the Eagles have been the most aggressive: From 2027 to 2032, they have over $500 million tied up by void years, roughly twice as much as any other team. That's money gumming up their books for players who aren't actually under contract to play for the team in those years.

For the Eagles, the maneuvering panned out, and they have the Super Bowl banner to prove it. But they're also going to be paying the price for that success for years.

https://www.wsj.com/sports/football/philadelphia-eagles-salary-cap-1bba3353?