Money can’t buy happiness, and the mo’ you got, the mo’ problems on your plate, just like Notorious B.I.G. said. But what if spending could buy success in the 2025 NFL season?
Born amid the rise of advanced analytics, Brad Pitt’s brilliant acting job in the 2011 film Moneyball, and James Harden’s small-ball Houston Rockets was an insatiable hunger for a “secret formula” to professional sports. A method that could be quantified but was yet to be seen by the rest of humanity.Â
The question we want to answer? If Benjamin Franklins make the world turn, then who’s to say they don’t control success in sports too?Â
Today, we dive into the spending habits of the best, worst, and most average teams in football. Hopefully, your favorite team demonstrated financial literacy.
The methodology
A quick note on how we executed our analysis.
We ranked every team in the league based on the amount of money they allocated to each position group (courtesy of Over the Cap), which we classified as:
- Quarterback
- Running back
- Wide receiver
- Tight end
- Offensive line
- Interior defensive line
- EDGE
- Linebacker
- Safety
- Cornerback
A lower number indicated less money spent, while a greater number indicated more money spent.
We then compared that to where every team is picking in the 2025 NFL Draft, broken into groups of top-10 picks, middle-10 picks, and the remaining 12 picks. For anyone unfamiliar with the NFL Draft, the lower the number of the pick, the worse the team performed.
Here, we’ll go over the spending habits of every position group and of teams based on where they are picking in the 2025 NFL Draft, and prove once and for all there IS a formula to achieve success.
NFL salary cap spending: Position groups
Quarterback
Top 10 picks average: 13.7
Middle 10 picks average: 17.2
Remaining 12 picks average: 19.4
It should come as no surprise that better teams spent more money on quarterbacks. Quarterbacks in the “remaining 12” group were headlined by Jordan Love, Jared Goff and Justin Herbert. It’s noteworthy that Dak Prescott, Joe Burrow, and Tua Tagovailoa, who have the first, third-, and fifth-highest quarterback contracts based on annual value, were all in the middle 10 classification.
Running back
Top 10 picks average: 18.1
Middle 10 picks average: 16.3
Remaining 12 picks average: 13.8
Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry’s historic seasons still couldn’t cover the fact that better teams spent less money on running backs. That’s the unfortunate position of what has become a “devalued” position, even despite Barkley’s new two-year, $41.2 million deal signed on Tuesday.
Wide receiver
Top 10 picks average: 13.2
Middle 10 picks average: 21.8
Remaining 12 picks average: 14.3
We’ve seen net NFL spending increase and decrease based on team success in the first two position groups. Here, we see that middle-of-the-road teams spend the most money on their receivers, while there wasn’t much difference between the best and worst teams in the league. That could be explained by most contending teams relying on their quarterback to elevate their receivers and most rebuilding teams focusing on other high-importance positions.Â
Tight end
Top 10 picks average: 14.7
Middle 10 picks average: 13.9
Remaining 12 picks average: 18.7
Most of the top contenders were solid in their tight end room. Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Mark Andrews, and T.J. Hockenson were all represented by the “remaining 12” group, while Brock Bowers and Sam LaPorta carried the burden for the “top 10 picks” section.
Offensive line
Top 10 picks average: 14.8
Middle 10 picks average: 16.5
Remaining 12 picks average: 18.3
The biggest takeaway from our analysis thus far? Win NFL games by protecting the quarterback and opening up holes for the ground game. The best teams unsurprisingly invested the most money into their lines, including teams such as the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, and Kansas City Chiefs.
Interior defensive line
Top 10 picks average: 16.4
Middle 10 picks average: 19.6
Remaining 12 picks average: 15
Similar to wide receivers, this position group formed a mini-pyramid with contenders averaging the lowest spend on their interior defensive linemen. That can partially be explained by a massive influx of elite defensive tackles in recent drafts and is a kick in the keister to college scouts around the country.
EDGE
Top 10 picks average: 18
Middle 10 picks average: 14.8Â
Remaining 12 picks average: 15.5
Okay, we honestly didn’t expect this. Edge-rusher is widely viewed as the second-most important position group on an NFL team, yet the worst teams in the league handed out the most dollars to EDGE players. Strength in numbers and consistent success in the NFL Draft (which means cheap contracts) appear to be the solution for true contenders.
Linebacker
Top 10 picks average: 18.7
Middle 10 picks average: 17.5
Remaining 12 picks average: 12.9
Yet again, the best teams in the league were able to succeed while spending less money than their less successful counterparts. Quarterbacks eat up a ton of cap space, and the lack of additional money makes the linebacker room a sacrificial group.
Safety
Top 10 picks average: 13.9
Middle 10 picks average: 16.5
Remaining 12 picks average: 17.8
Safeties are the most overlooked players in football—we said it. Contending teams found success with high-profile players who can drop into coverage or come down and play the run, while lesser teams were probably worried about filling “larger” holes on their roster.
Cornerback
Top 10 picks average: 16.6
Middle 10 picks average: 16.3
Remaining 12 picks average: 17.1
Wow, a bit of near-symmetry! Everyone needs a cornerback, and teams rarely let their guys walk. Draft them, trade for them, sign them in free agency, it doesn’t matter, teams need lockdown coverage against the top-end quarterback talent circulating throughout the league.
NFL spending habits of successful (and unsuccessful) teams
Out of every position group, the “remaining 12” group averaged the highest spend on quarterbacks—no surprise there.Â
“Top 10” teams had near-even spending averages on quarterbacks, receivers, and safeties, with WRs narrowly earning the lowest average mark.
It would be easy to assume that the lowest amount a single team spent on a position group would belong to the “top 10” group. However, it was the complete opposite.
“Top 10” teams had a minimum ranking of one in just one of the 10 position groups. “Middle 10” teams had the bottom mark in three, and the “remaining 12” were responsible for the lowest marks in SIX of the 10 categories.
For top 10 teams, the Tennessee Titans spent the least money in the league on their quarterbacks.
For middle 10 teams, the Dallas Cowboys at running back, the Cowboys again at tight end, and the Seattle Seahawks at offensive line were the lowest spenders.
Of remaining 12 teams, the Green Bay Packers at wide receiver, the Los Angeles Rams at interior defensive line, EDGE, and linebacker, the Detroit Lions at safety, and the Kansas City Chiefs at cornerback saved the most money on their budget.
General takeaways
Our analysis shows that contending teams spent less at a variety of positions, largely because of their ability to hit on draft picks. They also have long-term quarterback options or rookie QBs who are usually on their way to earning a second contract with their team.
The worst teams in the league often overpaid for running backs, EDGE rushers, and linebackers. Middleground teams went all-in on wide receivers and interior defensive linemen.
The salary cap for the 2025 NFL season has already been set at $279.2 million. Howie Roseman already began the posturing with Barkley’s extension that actually lowered Philly’s cap hit.
The free agency window will open on Wednesday, March 12 at 4:00 p.m. ET. Cross your fingers and hope your team spends big on quarterbacks and offensive linemen.
