Jaguars slash $10M from cap by reshaping Mekari and Murray deals. Void years and bonus conversions clear space, but challenges remain before the deadline.
The Jacksonville Jaguars got themselves closer to being salary-cap compliant Friday by restructuring of a pair of contracts.
The Jaguars revamped the contracts of offensive lineman Patrick Mekari and safety Eric Murray, Over the Cap reported Friday. The two moves save the Jaguars almost $10.7 million in cap space. OTC still projects Jacksonville to be about $6 million over the cap. Teams must be cap-compliant by 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, when the 2026 League Year and free agency officially begins.
Both players did max conversions on their respective 2026 salaries and added three void years to spread out the cap hit. They are both scheduled to hit the open market in 2028. The void years allow teams to spread out the signing bonus over a number of years, up to five, to lessen the cap hit each year.
For Mekari, he had $9.2 million converted into a signing bonus, dropping his 2026 cap number by $7.36 million, down to about $7.3 million. His 2027 cap number now sits at almost $18.2 million and he will leave $5.5 million in dead money when his contract expires in 2028.
Mekari played 869 snaps in 14 games at right guard in 2025 for the Jaguars before dealing with back issues. 2025 was his first season in Jacksonville after spending his first six seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. He signed as an undrafted free agent out of California in 2019.
Murray converted $4.2 million into a signing bonus. His 2026 cap hit is now about $4.2 million, while his 2027 cap hit now sits at about $9 million. He will leave $2.52 million in dead money when his contract ends in 2028.
Murray started 12 games, recording 54 tackles, two tackles for a loss and one interception. The veteran is entering his 11th NFL season and second with the Jaguars. He has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans. He was drafted in the fourth round by the Chiefs in 2016, out of Minnesota.
The Jaguars entered the offseason roughly $18 million over the cap, which was set at $301.2 million for the 2026 fiscal year. They still currently rank 28th in cap space, ahead of the Detroit Lions, Browns, Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings. Buffalo and Minnesota are both over the cap, by more than $30 million and $40 million, respectively, as of Friday morning.
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