Salary Cap/Cap Room Issues

MistrDuke32

Currently in the 2026 offseason, and my cap room is giving me all kinds of different looks. I'm sure you guys understand how finances work in Madden far better than I do, so I'll lay out my finances and my issue with them.

On "Salaries" menu:
- 2026 Cap: $198M
- Salaries: $186M
- 2026 Cap Penalties: $4.89M
- Rookie Reserve: $20.7M
- Cap Space: $7.43M

Available Funds: $278M
- Available Cap Room (shown when clicking "Sign Free Agents"): $-21.96M
- Cap Room (on the "Free Agency" screen): $-13.2M

Why is my cap room saying three different numbers? I understand my Rookie Reserve is high (I have two 1st round picks, and about five picks through the 2nd and 3rd rounds), but the math isn't adding up for me.

Also, during the season while trying to offer my 3rd-string RB a 4yr/$11M deal, my cap space was showing it would be $-233K if I offered him a 4yr/$2.8M deal and my cap room beforehand said I had about $21M.

I am completely lost right now.

Assassinoflife86

In other words your traded to much as most people do. So 20.7 in rookies. Which is projecting spent money which u dont have. U are in other words 186/198 mil on contracts with current roster. So that leaves u with roughly 12 mil. Then minus ur 5 mil in penalties. Then minus 21 mil in rookie signing which they want to get paid too since u want to draft them. And thats 4 yrs at least.

MistrDuke32

I guess that makes sense. I literally cannot sign any of the +9 players that are up for resigning. I dumped pretty much all of the draft picks I had loaded up.

The real problem was that I had way too many large contracts on my roster; I think at one point I had about 5 players on my roster that I had given $100 million contracts. One of my players that I drafted number one overall 3 seasons ago has progressed to a 99 OVR and is only 25 years old. I can't afford to give him the $70 million deal he wants, but I've had a hard time letting guys like him go out into free agency just because I don't want to deal with him on another team.

BF_PIERCE14

Could you help explain this ?
2018 cap 177m
Salaries 124m
2018 cap pen 2.84m
Cap space 50.5
2019 cap pen. 5.45
Rookie reserve 0

Why am I over the cap? Because I have to many rookies and it’s at 0 ?

jjdwyer30

I turn the cap off. It really doesn’t change anything.

NoCigar4You

I don't get how anyone is that far over the cap. I'm constantly ~$50mil under the cap. You guys must be breaking the bank in long term contracts in free agency every year.