The Texans will get some short-term salary cap relief this weekend following a contract move with Shaq Mason.
The Houston Texans are among a handful of NFL teams that will receive a significant bump in salary cap space this weekend as the league turns the page from June 1 to June 2. The Texans released offensive lineman Shaq Mason in March with a post-June 1 designation, and the 2025 salary cap space created from that move becomes available on June 2.
What is a post-June 1 designation in the NFL?
The post-June 1 designation is a mechanism in play for NFL teams to use in order to release a player in March, April, or May in a move that simultaneously benefits the player and the team. Once June 2 hits, dead-money cap hits are spread over two seasons instead of accelerated into the current season. Instead of holding on to a player for months you already know you’re going to cut, you release them in March and apply the cap advantage in June.
Players get to sign when there are roster spots and lots of cash available from other teams. Teams don’t have to pay roster bonuses or option bonuses or worry about that player getting hurt and kicking in an injury guarantee.
How does this designation change the Texans salary cap?
Mason’s existing cap hit was set to be just under $14.6 million in 2025, and that’s what has been sitting on the books since the league year opened in March.
If Davis had just been released normally, his cap hit would fall to $12.482 million — the amount of remaining dead cap on his contract.
With the post-June 1 release, his cap hit will be considerably lower than that roughly $12.5 million dead cap hit, splitting it between 2025 and 2026. His cap number in 2025 will now be $5.158 million with $7.324 million pushed into 2026.
Every dollar paid to a player eventually is counted on the cap. This is just a way to delay it.
Should we expect a Texans roster move with this new cap space?
The Texans had been right up against the cap, with only $3.8 million in available Top-51 space before the move. Most teams like having $10 million or so available for in-season roster flexibility in the case of injury, so unless we see another cap move — like an easy restructure of Dalton Schultz’s base salary — the Texans will likely be content to stand still with their remaining cap space.