uh. math.
they are signing new TV deals that are historically high.
they have added a 17th game for TV and gates.
they added playoff teams.
the 208m cap is about paying owners back for 2020.. so when that ceiling is lifted it will be katie bar the door.
https://saintswire.usatoday.com/2021/03/18/saints-salary-cap-update-nfl-tv-news/
the owners negotiated that ceiling because the real number is expected to be about 240M. Each owner basically pockets 1M.
My best guess today is you see 208M in 2022 rise to 250M in in 2023 and it will be 300M by 2025 for sure.
While those numbers are just semi-educated guesses, what is not even debate-able is that the increases will be large and swift by year going forward.
--assuming COVID was a one-time a lifetime pandemic