Colts use void years to create cap space on DeForest Buckner extension

Not only did the Colts’ extension with DeForest Buckner keep him in Indianapolis through the 2026 season, but it created over $14 million in cap space for the 2024 season as well.

Before the extension took place, Buckner was entering the final year of his contract, but the new deal added two more years to it – making it three years in total – and was worth $46 million in new money.

According to Over the Cap (OTC), Buckner will receive $53.25 million in guarantees of the total contract value, with $43.25 million of that fully guaranteed. The new money guarantee is $33 million, with $23 million guaranteed at signing.

Buckner’s cap hit for the upcoming season went from being $22.75 million – the second largest on the team – to just $8.35 million.

In short, the Colts were able to lessen Buckner’s current cap hit by taking a portion of his previous base salary and roster bonus, in which the cap hit from both have to be absorbed in the current year, and converted that to a signing bonus, in which the cap hit can be spread out over the life of the contract.

To further help lower the current year’s cap hit, in addition to adding on two years to the original contract, the Colts also added two void years as well.

Void years are essentially dummy years that can be added to a contract for bookkeeping purposes. Buckner’s contract is still up after the 2026 season–it does not run through 2028.

What void years do is provide the Colts with two additional years on paper to pro-rate cap charges over. So rather than spreading Buckner’s $18 million signing bonus out over three years, they now have five years to do so, with the two void years absorbing $7.2 million in cap charges.

The downside to this approach, however, is that once Buckner’s deal is up after the 2026 season, that $7.2 million that was pushed to the void years accelerates and comes due on the 2027 salary cap as dead cap, regardless of whether or not Buckner is on the team.

As a result of all this, Buckner’s base salary for the upcoming season is just $2.25 million, with a $6.1 million pro-rated signing bonus contributing to his $8.35 million cap hit.

For the 2025 and 2026 seasons, Buckner will have a $13 million base salary, $3.6 million in that pro-rated signing bonus, and a $10 million roster bonus, totaling a $26.6 million cap hit each year.

The Colts now have $28.41 million in available cap space for the 2024 season.