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The intricate nature of NFL contracts often leads to confusion regarding a player’s cap hit. A player's contract may suggest a certain annual salary, but in practice, the distribution of payments across the contract term may differ significantly. Teams frequently structure contracts to defer higher payouts to the latter years, anticipating future salary cap increases.
Due to the nature of NFL contracts, teams possess the authority to release players that might no longer fit within their financial strategy, often at minimal cost, which creates a risk for players of not receiving their full contractual amounts unless guaranteed money is part of their deal.