We hear it all the time in various contexts: “The Pegulas are rich. They can afford it.” In the NFL’s salary cap era, everything is supposed to be equal. All teams are limited to the same spending on players. All teams receive equal shares of revenue from TV contracts, which offsets those player costs. So with all the rules to ensure parity, can an owner’s wealth, or lack thereof, still affect a franchise?
As Tom Mitchell mentioned in this article, there are rumors that the Khalil Mack trade was prompted in part by Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis being unable to afford the $34 million signing bonus necessary to secure a contract extension.