NFL teams now have fewer than 24 hours to trim their rosters down to 53 players ahead of the 2020 season — a process that resulted in some surprising cuts ahead of Saturday’s 4 p.m. deadline.
Some notable players who have already been cut include Dallas safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Washington running back Adrian Peterson and Jacksonville running back Leonard Fournette. Some of those cuts have been especially jarring, since the lack of a preseason has ommitted any tells a player might not be working out well for a specific team.
Saturday’s 4 p.m. deadline will create opportunity for NFL teams to claim players on waivers before creating their 16-man practice rosters. Until then, however, players will hope to avoid that dreaded call from coaches and GMs.
MORE: How much do NFL parctice squad players make?
NFL cuts tracker 2020: Live team-by-team roster updates
The following are the NFL roster cuts made during the week leading up to Saturday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline, starting with those from Monday, Aug. 31:
(NFL roster cuts news via NFL.com and other media reports.)
Arizona Cardinals roster cuts
- CB Jalen Davis
- WR Hakeem Butler
- OL Sam Jones
- OL Brett Toth
- DL Miles Brown
- P Ryan Winslow
Atlanta Falcons roster cuts
Baltimore Ravens roster cuts
- WR Michael Dereus
- C Sean Pollard
- DE John Daka
Buffalo Bills roster cuts
- LB Vosean Joseph
- LB Corey Thompson
Carolina Panthers roster cuts
Chicago Bears roster cuts
- RB Napoleon Maxwell
- WR Ahmad Wagner
- WR Alex Wesley
- OL Corey Levin
- DL Lee Autry
- LB Keandre Jones
Cincinnati Bengals roster cuts
- OT O’Shea Dugas
- DE Bryce Sterk
- LB Brady Sheldon
Cleveland Browns roster cuts
- WR J’Mon Moore
- DT Ricky Walker
- CB Donnie Lewis Jr.
- S J.T. Hassell
Dallas Cowboys roster cuts
- QB Clayton Thorson
- WR Devin Smith
- TE Charlie Taumoepeau
- TE Cole Hikutini
- T Mitch Hyatt
- T Wyatt Miller
- T Pace Murphy
- T Wyatt Miller
- C Adam Redmond
- RB Darius Anderson
- DE Joe Jackson
- S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
Denver Broncos roster cuts
Detroit Lions roster cuts
Green Bay Packers roster cuts
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Houston Texans roster cuts
- QB Alex McGough
- DT Albert Huggins
- LB Daren Bates
Indianapolis Colts roster cuts
- FB Roosevelt Nix
- WR Chad Williams
- WR Artavis Scott
- TE Ian Bunting
- T Andrew Donnal
Jacksonville Jaguars roster cuts
- RB Leonard Fournette
- TE Charles Jones
- WR Marvelle Ross
- LS Matthew Orzech
Kansas City Chiefs roster cuts
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Las Vegas Raiders roster cuts
- RB Rod Smith
- G Jordan Roos
- C Jordan Devey
- LB Sharif Finch
- LB Nick Usher
- CB Prince Amukamara
- CB Nick Nelson
- CB Madre Harper
- S Damarious Randall
Los Angeles Chargers roster cuts
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Los Angeles Rams roster cuts
- RB: John Kelly
- WR Earnest Edwards
- WR J.J. Koski
- WR Easop Winston
- TE Kendall Blanton
- G Jamil Demby
- G Jeremiah Kolone
- G Cohl Cabral
- LB Daniel Bituli
- LB Derrick Moncrief
- DB Adonis Alexander
- DB Jake Gervase
- DB Juju Hughes
- DB Dayan Lake
- DB Tyrique McGhee
- K Lirim Hajrullahu
- K Austin MacGinnis
Miami Dolphins roster cuts
- WR Ricardo Louis
- WR Chester Rogers
- DE Avery Moss
- LB James Crawford
- CB Deatrick Nichols
- S Jeremiah Dinson
- QB Josh Rosen
Minnesota Vikings roster cuts
- RB Tony Brooks-James
- DE Stacy Keely
- DT Anthony Zettel
- LB Jordan Fehr
- LB Quentin Poling
New England Patriots roster cuts
- WR Mohamed Sanu
- DL Michael Barnett
- CB Michael Jackson
New Orleans Saints roster cuts
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New York Giants roster cuts
- TE Rysen John
- T Jackson Dennis
- DB Jaquarius Landrews
New York Jets roster cuts
- DT Sterling Johnson
- LB B.J. Bello
- K Brett Maher
- RB Pete Guerriero
Philadelphia Eagles roster cuts
- RB Elijah Holyfield
- RB Adrian Killins
- RB Michael Warren
- WR Manasseh Bailey
- WR Deontay Burnett
- WR Robert Davis
- WR Travis Fulgham
- WR Marcus Green
- TE Tyrone Swoopes
- TE Caleb Wilson
- G Julian Good-Jones
- C Luke Juriga
- DT T.Y. McGill
- DE Matt Leo
- DB Grayland Arnold
- DB Michael Jacquet
- DB Elijah Riley
- DB Trevor Williams
Pittsburgh Steelers roster cuts
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San Francisco 49ers roster cuts
- DE James Lockhart
- CB Jamar Taylor
Seattle Seahawks roster cuts
- WR Seth Dawkins
- DE Pita Taumoepenu
Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster cuts
- K Elliott Fry
- K Matt Gay
- RB Dare Ogunbowale
Tennessee Titans roster cuts
- G Avery Gennesy
- K Greg Joseph
Washington Football Team roster cuts
- WR Darvin Kidsy
- RB Adrian Peterson
When is the NFL roster cuts deadline in 2020?
- Roster cuts deadline: Saturday, Sept. 5
- Deadline time: 4 p.m. ET
NFL teams are free to cut players whenever they want, but when the deadline of 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 5 arrives, all 32 rosters must consist of no more than 53 players on the active/inactive list. (Teams already had to trim their training camp rosters to a maximum of 80 players by Aug. 16.)
Prior to 2017, teams worked through& multiple roster cut deadlines throughout the preseason to trim their personnel. Then the league’s owners voted to create the format still used today — one deadline to trim rosters to 53 players upon the conclusion of the preseason.
In 2020, of course, there is no preseason, but the lone roster cuts deadline remains the same as originally scheduled. It lands a week before the start of the regular season.
NFL roster cuts rules
In part because there are no preseason games, many teams will have already made the majority of their pre-deadline roster moves and won’t have to cut 27 players at once.
Below is the NFL’s official language on the Sept. 5 roster cuts deadline:
“Prior to 4 p.m., New York time, clubs must reduce rosters to a maximum of 53 players on the Active/Inactive List. … Simultaneously with the cut-down to 53, clubs that have players in the categories of Active/Physically Unable to Perform or Active/Non-Football Injury or Illness must select one of the following options: place player on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform or Reserve/NonFootball Injury or Illness, whichever is applicable; request waivers; terminate contract; trade contract; or continue to count the player on the Active List.”
There will be a claiming period for the players who are placed on waivers during roster cut-downs, but that period will expire at noon ET on Sunday, Sept. 6.
An hour after that claiming period ends, teams will be able to begin constructing their 16-player practice squads. Below is the full schedule for NFL roster cuts/construction.
| Date | Event |
| Aug. 16 | Deadline to cut training camp rosters to 80 players |
| Sept. 5 | 4 p.m. ET deadline to cut rosters to 53 players |
| Sept. 6 | Waiver claim period after cuts ends at noon ET |
| Sept. 6 | Teams can begin signing practice squad players at 1 p.m. ET |
| Sept. 10 | Top 51 rule expires |
Contributing: Tadd Haislop