# NFL Salary Cap Question
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-salary-cap-question/348353
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 14, 2006, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-salary-cap-question/348353 "2006-03-14T19:38:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@\_len](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_len)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2006, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-salary-cap-question/348353/1 "2006-03-14T19:38:21Z")
Loosely following the signing of NFL free agents, a question came up about how signing bonuses are spread over the life of the contract. Is there a limit on the number of years over which a signing bonus can be spread? Otherwise, why wouldn’t every team sign their players to 20-year contracts, and take only a 5% cap hit for the bonus every year?
Thanks,
Len
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### Author:  [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2006, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-salary-cap-question/348353/2 "2006-03-14T19:41:51Z")
> [@\_len\_](#):
>
> Loosely following the signing of NFL free agents, a question came up about how signing bonuses are spread over the life of the contract. Is there a limit on the number of years over which a signing bonus can be spread? Otherwise, why wouldn’t every team sign their players to 20-year contracts, and take only a 5% cap hit for the bonus every year?
Because when a player is released from the team, all the remaining prorated signing bonus money comes due against the cap immediately. So, in essence, there \*is \* a practical limit to how many seasons the signing bonus money can be spread – the number of seasons a team keeps a player on its roster.
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### Author:  [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2006, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-salary-cap-question/348353/3 "2006-03-14T20:12:18Z")
I think the new collective bargaining agreement limits the number of years a signing bonus can be prorated over to five. I can’t find a link to the CBA itself, so take it for what it’s worth.
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### Author:  [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-salary-cap-question/348353/4 "2006-03-14T20:30:26Z")
> [@Lord Ashtar](#):
>
> I think the new collective bargaining agreement limits the number of years a signing bonus can be prorated over to five.
I believe you are correct. This would be a change instituted sometime within the past two weeks.