To explain the era that the NFL is in right now, you have to look at the salary cap. Over the last two years, the cap has risen over $50 million and is expected to continue to rise around the same pace until the league’s current TV contracts are up in 2029.
Following post-Covid cap stagnation, this has been a great time for teams to retain their own talent. This is one reason why recent free agency classes have been relatively weak and why there are virtually no difference-makers left on the market less than a week into the new league year.