Grady Jarrett, Justin Simmons top Falcons’ dead cap totals for 2025 NFL season
After trading Julio Jones and Matt Ryan in consecutive offseasons, the Atlanta Falcons were forced to wait a few years before they could be active players in free agency again. The team hit a home run by signing safety Jessie Bates in 2023, however, Atlanta fumbled the bag in 2024 by guaranteeing $100 million to quarterback Kirk Cousins.
While the current situation isn’t as bad as it was a few years ago, Cousins’ team-high $40 million cap hit has severely severely limited the Falcons’ options in free agency. On top of that, they are paying nearly $8 million in dead money to three former players.
Atlanta released veteran defensive lineman Grady Jarrett before the start for the 2025 league year, costing the team $4.1 million in dead cap. Safety Justin Simmons, who signed a one-year deal with the team in 2024, is still on the books due to having two voided years on his contract.
As you can see below, the Falcons are paying $7.6 million in dead money to Jarrett, Simmons and Zion Logue this season.
Falcons 2025 dead cap total: $7,625,252Grady Jarrett: $4,125,000Justin Simmons: $3,166,667Zion Logue: $136,074
According to OverTheCap, the team has $4.9 million in salary cap space available. The Falcons are paying Cousins nearly double the second-highest-paid player (Jessie Bates) this season. For more on the team’s salary cap, check out our list of Atlanta’s 10 highest-paid players in 2025.