In the ongoing negotiations for the 2024 salary cap, the NFL and NFL Players Association are taking different approaches, according to conflicting reports from ESPN.com and NFL.com. The divergence centers around the projection for the upcoming season and the potential impact it will have on team budgets.

ESPN.com's report reveals that the owners will not receive a specific projection during their annual December meeting, which is unusual as they have in the past. The NFL Players Association has previously expressed dissatisfaction with low projections, leading to tighter budgets based on inaccurate information. The cap projection for 2024 remains undecided due to unresolved matters being addressed by both parties.

On the other hand, NFL.com's version of the story downplays the absence of a specific projection and focuses on the expectation that the salary cap will exceed $240 million. This projected increase of over $15 million per team from the current maximum of $224.8 million has grabbed attention. However, it is crucial to note that the final figure has yet to be determined through negotiations between the league and the union.

While NFL.com's report implies that the NFL Players Association desires to "smooth out" cap growth, it is in the players' best interest to see the cap rise as significantly and swiftly as possible. It is more likely that the owners, such as Jerry Jones, who aim to maximize spending in pursuit of a Super Bowl victory, may prefer a higher cap. There are also owners who favor slower cap growth due to the cap's impact on minimum spending obligations.

The delay in finalizing the cap projection may be attributed to these differing perspectives. With the NFL successfully navigating pandemic-related losses and new lucrative TV deals in place, the league is poised to experience substantial growth. An unnamed source quoted by NFL.com states, "Business is booming, and everyone is finally out of the COVID debt." However, this growth also means that more cash needs to be allocated to players as the cap increases. A higher cap obligates the league to provide more to the players, while a lower cap reduces the monetary obligation.

As negotiations continue, it becomes clear that it is the owners, not the players, who may be attempting to limit the cap growth for the upcoming season. The conflicting reports shed light on the different motivations within the NFL when it comes to determining the salary cap. While the final decision lies in the hands of the league and the union, the future of the 2024 salary cap remains uncertain.