The NFL is by far the most popular sport in North America, with over 120 million people tuning in to watch the Super Bowl every year.
And while other sports, particularly soccer and basketball, are more popular globally (with fanbases in the billions), Americans love their sports, so the NFL is also by far the sports league that generates the most revenue globally.
In 2024, the league brought in $19.3 billion, well ahead of the NBA’s $12 billion, MLB’s $11.3 billion, and the Premier League’s $7.1 billion revenue haul.
Part of the recipe for the league’s dominance is the parity the league fosters.
While it may seem like the Kansas City Chiefs are a lock to win the championship (or at least reach the big game) every year, it isn’t unusual for a team like the 2024 Washington Commanders to go from winning just four games one season to being a game away from the Super Bown the next.
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Part of the reason for this parity is the league’s unique salary cap.
The cap keeps teams like the Chiefs from completely dominating the league by limiting the amount of talent they can add while also allowing bad teams that manage their finances well to make big free agency moves to improve their squads quickly.
Drake Maye of the New England Patriots has much to look forward to after the Pats spending spree.
New England spends big to land big free agents
In the offseason, the New England Patriots had the most cap room in the league.
After two decades of dominance led by Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, the Patriots have found themselves in rebuilding mode over the past three seasons. After Mac Jones, Brady’s replacement, flamed out after a couple of years, the Patriots entered full rebuilding mode.
The cornerstone of any rebuild is a quarterback, and the team from New England believes they have their quarterback of the future in Drake Maye, who is set start his second season in 2025.
Another cornerstone of any rebuild is having the funds to actually make it happen. The Pats entered the offseason with an estimated $129 million in salary cap space.
The team spent significantly more than that on their future on day 1 of free agency.
The Patriots spent $282 million on free agents Monday, with $164 million guaranteed.
Related: NFL free agency kicks off this week with $1.3 billion in play
Milton Williams was the biggest splash of the day, with the Patriots adding the defensive tackle on a 4-year $104 million deal ($63 million guaranteed). The Pats bolstered their defense even further, adding cornerback Carlton Davis to a 3-year $60 million contract ($34.5 million guaranteed).
New England Patriots looking at a brighter 2025
Add in a new offensive tackle in veteran Morgan Moses (3 years, $24 million) to help bolster the line that protects the franchise quarterback, and you have a team that, along with the number 4 overall pick in April’s college draft, has made strides to make itself an NFL contender in 2025.
Despite the spending spree, the Patriots still have the most cap space in the league, according to Over the Cap.
While the Patriots are still flush with cash, the free agency talent pool is getting shallower by the hour.
Wide receiver Amari Cooper, the 11th-ranked free agent at the start of the week, is the top free agent left on NFL.com’s big board. The next best player is cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., ranked 21st.
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Timing + accurate scouting + willingness to spend = a successful offseason.
New England is off to a great start so far. We’ll see if these offseason wins translate into regular-season ones once the season kicks off this fall.
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