http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2016/2/26/11119930/jaguars-2016-salary-cap-or-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-free-agenc

 

"What is the 89 percent rule?

There is a belief that NFL teams must spend 89 percent of the salary cap to be in compliance with the new collective bargaining agreement.

That is both simultaneously correct and incorrect. The rule does not apply to a singular season for teams, but applies to an aggregate total over the course of four seasons.

Specifically through the course of 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. This means the team must hit the mark by the time the league rolls into the 2017 year, so March of 2017.

 

What happens if you don't hit the 89 percent mark?

<p class=""> 

<p class="">The penalty for not reaching the 89 percent spend requirement over the four-year cumulative period isn’t anything you should be worried about. A team will have to give the money they're short by to their own players (via NFLPA-determined distribution). This means there really isn't much of a penalty, other than your own players get somewhat of a bonus, for a lack of a better word. You do not incur fines, you do not lose draft picks. You just have to spend the required money in some manner as determined by the NFLPA.

<p class="">Basically, don't worry about it. It's not that big of a deal."

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