NFL teams worked on a tighter deadline this year to make their final roster decisions.

To accommodate the logistics of the Week 1 matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams in Australia, the league moved up the deadline to trim rosters from the Tuesday after the third preseason game, as it has been since 2021, to 6 p.m. ET Sunday.

Here is a list of the most notable cuts across the league from the initial 53-man rosters. The players are listed alphabetically.

DT Uar Bernard, Philadelphia Eagles

One of the feel-good stories of the 2026 draft, the Eagles selected Bernard in the seventh round even though he had never played organized football. From Nigeria, Bernard is part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. His size and athleticism made him an intriguing prospect, but there was a learning curve the team had to navigate throughout offseason workouts.

QB Shane Buechele, Buffalo Bills

After going undrafted in 2021 and backing up Patrick Mahomes for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022, Buechele finally made his NFL debut last season.

The Chiefs signed Buechele to their active roster after injuries to Mahomes and Gardner Minshew in 2025. He served as the backup to new starter Chris Oladokun and, on Jan. 4, made his debut against the Las Vegas Raiders, completing 7 of 14 passes for 88 yards. He was released the next day, and the Bills signed him to their practice squad.

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WR Mecole Hardman, Buffalo Bills

A second-round pick in 2019, Hardman earned a Pro Bowl nod in his rookie season. He went on to win three Super Bowls with the Chiefs and made the game-winning catch in overtime to seal Kansas City’s win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 58.

After a brief stint with the Green Bay Packers, the Bills signed Hardman to their practice squad in 2025, but his impact was limited due to a calf injury.

TE Justin Joly, Denver Broncos

The 152nd pick of the 2026 draft, Joly was the highest-selected player to be cut as of midday Sunday. In the Broncos’ preseason win against the Minnesota Vikings on Friday, Joly scored an 88-yard touchdown and led all Broncos receivers with 95 total yards.

QB Will Levis, Tennessee Titans

A quarterback who once had first-round pick projections, Levis’ fall to the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft is well-remembered. He started 21 games across his first two NFL seasons, but struggled with injuries and turnovers.

His long-term outlook with the franchise looked unclear, particularly after the Titans used the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft on quarterback Cam Ward. Levis had surgery on his throwing shoulder that caused him to miss all of the 2025 season and, this summer, was competing with recently signed free agent Mitchell Trubisky for the backup role.

OL Evan Neal, New York Giants

The No. 7 pick in 2022, Neal was released after four seasons with the Giants. In 2023, he caught attention for comments he made about displeased Giants fans, for which he later apologized. He has started 27 games, all at right tackle, and re-signed with the team in March, signaling a fresh slate under the new coaching staff. But a lack of production and injury issues over the past two years persisted.

DT Mazi Smith, New York Jets

Smith was once at the top of Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List, and in 2023, the Dallas Cowboys made him a first-round pick. But Smith wasn’t able to make a consistent impact in his three seasons in Dallas.

His former club dealt him to the New York Jets, along with two draft picks, in November 2025 as part of the blockbuster trade that sent four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to Dallas. Smith appeared in three games for the Jets as a backup, and his roster spot didn’t appear safe with five defensive tackles solidifying themselves for the Jets this summer.

OT Jedrick Wills, Chicago Bears

A top-10 pick in the 2020 draft out of Alabama, Wills was a solid starter in Cleveland for his first three seasons. But injuries limited his impact in 2023 and 2024 and, as a free agent last year, Wills did not sign with a team, later saying he took the season off to recover. This summer, Wills, 27, was competing for the starting left tackle job in Chicago.

Bailey Zappe was a fourth-round pick of the Patriots in 2022. He spent last season with the Jets. (Vincent Carchietta / Imagn Images)

QB Bailey Zappe, New York Jets

Zappe has made nine starts across four seasons in the NFL. Six of those starts came with the New England Patriots during the 2023 season, when he got the call after Mac Jones struggled. But Zappe also struggled, going 2-4 with six touchdowns and nine interceptions.

The 2022 fourth-round pick out of Western Kentucky holds FBS records for the most passing yards in a season (5,967 in 2021) and the most passing touchdowns in a season (62 in 2021). He spent stints with the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns before signing with the Jets in January.