In 2023, the NFL changed its roster trimming process, with owners voting to have a single cutdown day rather than spreading the cuts across multiple dates.
For many years, there were three cutdown deadlines: rosters were reduced from 90 to 85 players, then down to 80 players, and finally down to 53 players. However, under the NFL’s new rules, there’s a single deadline (although teams can still start cutting players earlier if they’d like).
This means that teams have longer to evaluate players, but it also means that many players will hit the free-agent pool at the same time after the final preseason game.
When is the NFL’s roster cutdown deadline in 2024, and how does that process work?
When Is the NFL’s 53-Man Roster Cut Deadline?
This season, the NFL’s 53-man roster cutdown deadline is Aug. 27 by 4 p.m. ET. While teams are allowed to carry 90 players on their roster during the summer, every team must trim its roster to 53 players by this deadline.
Teams are free to cut players throughout training camp and the preseason if they choose. Some franchises move on from with players early, while others wait until just before the deadline. Regardless, every team must meet the NFL’s roster requirement by Aug. 27.
How Are Players Removed From 53-Man Rosters?
While fans often use “cut,” “released,” and “waived” interchangeably, there are actually some differences. A veteran player with at least four years of NFL service time is “released,” while a player who has not become a vested veteran is “waived” and sent to the NFL’s waiver system.
Players can also be placed on various injured lists. Players on the physically unable to perform (PUP) or non-football injury (NFI) lists don’t count toward the 53-man roster limit. Players on these lists must miss the first four games of the regular season.
NFL teams can also put injured players on injured reserve (IR). Like players on the PUP and NFI lists, those on IR must miss at least four games to start the season. If a player is sent to IR without first making a 53-man roster, he is not eligible to be activated later in the season.
Additionally, players who are serving suspensions at the start of the season do not count toward the 53-man roster.
What Happens to Players Who Are Cut?
Veterans with at least four accrued seasons are free to immediately sign with another team once they get released at the roster deadline. There is no waiting period.
Those with fewer than four seasons of experience are placed on waivers, and the other 31 NFL teams will have the opportunity to add them via a waiver claim. The NFL’s waiver order is in reverse order of the previous season’s final standings.
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If a player passes through the waiver system without being claimed, he will become a free agent and can sign with any team he chooses.
The majority of players placed on waivers are not claimed. Many waived players end up signing to a practice squad after waivers are processed.