NFL cutdown day was chaos. Teams around the league were required to trim rosters to 53 players by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, and the result was 1,184 players hitting the open market. The waiver wire has never been more crowded.
The list of notable cuts is long. Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis was released. The Cleveland Browns waived receiver Cedric Tillman before their preseason finale. The Denver Broncos let go of fifth-round rookie tight end Justin Joly. Dallas released veteran wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Those are the headlines. The bigger story is what happens over the next 48 hours, when teams have the chance to claim players off waivers or add practice squad depth. This is where playoff-caliber rosters get built. The teams that work the wire best are the ones that come out ahead in Week 1.
Trade activity leading into cutdown day was also notable. The New England Patriots traded for former Vikings tackle Rouse. The Packers acquired tight end Redman from the Rams for a 2028 seventh-round pick. The 49ers added Texans interior offensive lineman Patterson. Panthers, Chargers, and Falcons all made lineup shuffling moves.
The Titans releasing Will Levis is the biggest name on the cut list. Levis was the No. 33 overall pick in 2023 and was supposed to be the future of the franchise. Two and a half years later, Tennessee has moved on. That is a brutal indictment of the pick and the coaching staff that tried to develop him.
Levis will get another look somewhere. He is only 27 and has some physical tools that a team will bet on. But the situation he lands in will be a backup role or a competitive quarterback room, not a starting job. The path from top-tier prospect to journeyman backup usually takes longer than this. Levis is on the fast track.
The waiver claim priority matters. Teams with worse records from last season get first crack at players who are waived. That is why bad teams often get better in the offseason and why waiver claims are one of the most underrated parts of NFL roster building.
The Bears might be at the waiver wire trying to add running back depth after the Kyle Monangai injury. The Chargers could use offensive line reinforcements. The Rams are trying to shore up their tight end room. Every team has needs and every roster is going to look a little different by the time Week 1 arrives.
The trade market for veterans is going to open up quickly. When a team cuts an experienced player instead of trading him, that usually means no one was willing to give up a mid-round pick. But some players who survived cuts might still be traded in the next month if a competitor loses a starter to injury.
The 2026 NFL season starts on September 11 with the traditional Thursday night opener. Teams have less than two weeks to finalize their rosters, integrate new pieces, and prepare game plans. It is the tightest window of the year.
Practice squad rules matter more than ever in this environment. Teams can protect players from being poached and can promote practice squad guys for game days. The strategic value of a good practice squad has quadrupled in the last five years. Coaches and personnel departments are going to be working around the clock this week.
The trade rumors from earlier in the summer are still floating around too. Certain veterans on the trade block never got moved, and their teams could revisit conversations if the price comes down. Cornerback Jaire Alexander in Green Bay comes to mind. Wide receiver Diontae Johnson too, depending on where he lands after being cut.
The next 72 hours are going to be some of the most active of the entire NFL calendar. Fans should be watching the waiver reports closely. The team that lands the right piece could shift the balance of an entire division.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
