The Buffalo Bills have strategically used two NFL salary cap benefits, the Veteran Salary Benefit (VSB) and the Four-Year Qualifying Contract (4YQC), to retain key players while minimizing their cap impact for the 2025 season. These benefits allow teams to sign experienced players at a reduced cap cost.
Veteran Salary Benefit (VSB)
The VSB enables teams to sign players with at least four credited seasons to one-year contracts at the league minimum salary, while offering up to $167,500 in bonuses. The advantage is that these contracts count against the cap as if they were for a second-year player.
- Laviska Shenault Jr. (5 credited seasons)
- Base Salary: $1,170,000
- Bonuses: $40,000
- Cap Hit: $1,070,000
- Darrick Forrest (4 credited seasons)
- Base Salary: $1,170,000
- Bonuses: $167,500
- Cap Hit: $1,197,500
Four-Year Qualifying Contract (4YQC)
This contract rewards teams for keeping players who have spent their last four seasons with the same team and remained on the active roster without interruption. The Bills can use this on two players per year, with up to $1.55 million in additional salary beyond the veteran minimum, but only the minimum counts against the cap.
- Damar Hamlin (4 credited seasons with Buffalo)
- Base Salary: $1,832,500
- Signing Bonus: $167,500
- Total Cash Compensation: $2 million (fully guaranteed)
- Cap Hit: $1,337,500
By applying the 4YQC, Buffalo has saved $662,500 on Hamlin’s contract, leaving them room to use this benefit again for another player, potentially fullback Reggie Gilliam.
These moves demonstrate the Bills’ approach to maximizing their cap space while keeping valuable players on the roster.
