The Atlanta Falcons have gotten a few major contract extensions done under first-year general manager Ian Cunningham, and it appears they've made one last cap clearing move before the start of the 2026 NFL season.
According to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, the Falcons freed up $11.76 million in salary cap space by restructuring Chris Lindstrom's contract. The team added another voided year to his deal and converted a portion of his salary into a signing bonus.
"In a move designed to maximize salary cap carryover for 2027 and increase their flexibility for 2026 the Falcons have created $11.76 million in cap room with a restructure of Chris Lindstrom’s contract. The team converted $14.7 million of his salary into a bonus and added an additional
void year to maximize the proration of the bonus. The move reduced his 2026 salary cap number by $11.76 million. His cap number in all future years will increase by $2.94 million." - Over The Cap
After restructuring Lindstrom's deal, the Falcons reportedly have around $33 million in cap space available. That's the third-most in the entire NFL. So what will the team look to do with that cash?
Perhaps Cunningham is looking to extend safety Jessie Bates III's contract. The team has already extended Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Matthew Bergeron. Bates is the next in line after three stellar seasons in Atlanta.
We'll have to wait and see what Cunningham has up his sleeve next. The Falcons will face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons create nearly $12M in cap space with restructured contract
