NFL cuts 2025: Live updates as teams set initial 53-man rosters for season

For many NFL teams, Tuesday’s roster cutdown deadline marks perhaps the biggest hurdle remaining before preparation for the regular season begins in earnest. For hundreds of players, however, the paring down can mark a painful end of the line.

Established starters and early draft picks typically have nothing to fear as teams set their initial 53-man rosters, but the culmination of the preseason schedule necessarily leads to some disappointment and difficult decisions. Some long shot bids will officially come to an end. But those who set out to scrape for a spot at the end of the roster are signing up for a transient lifestyle, and this might just be the first – or latest – in a series of setbacks. But hope remains, as any notion of finality with the cutdowns is quickly dispelled by additional waiver moves, trades and practice squad transactions in the coming days, weeks and months.

With several teams making cuts, check back for all the latest on the notable moves with USA TODAY Sports’ live blog on the biggest roster moves:

Cowboys roster cuts: A surprise in store?

First-year Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer created the kind of stir that bossman Jerry Jones would appreciate when he suggested last week that the team could throw a curveball or two come cutdown time.

“We’ll sit down after we play Friday and we’ll make some decisions about the entire roster,” Schottenheimer said last Monday. “There will probably be some surprises from some of the mock things that are out there in terms of, ‘Hey, I thought for sure this guy was gonna make it.'”

There don’t appear to be many mysteries for a team that sat a huge number of starters and key contributors in the finale, though embattled 2023 first-round defensive tackle Mazi Smith among those still in action. Schottenheimer said Saturday that the positions giving Dallas’ decision-makers the most trouble were cornerback, wide receiver, linebacker and defensive end.

No surprise here, though: Offensive tackle La’el Collins, a former linchpin of the offensive line who signed with the team just this month, was cut Sunday, per multiple reports.

Eagles roster cuts: Dorian Thompson-Robinson out as QB shuffle continues

Howie Roseman is never one to stand pat at a key moment for roster building. That aggressive mentality was on full display this weekend, as the executive vice president and general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles executed a slew of moves.

The most notable decision might be the reworking of his quarterback room. With backup Tanner McKee still sidelined by a finger injury, Roseman swung a trade with the Minnesota Vikings to acquire Sam Howell. That led Sunday to the official ouster of Thompson-Robinson, who was acquired in the Kenny Pickett trade but looked unlikely to stick around after battling fifth-round rookie Kyle McCord for the presumed No. 3 job.

Buccaneers roster cuts: Shilo Sanders gets the boot, but could he return?

Shilo Sanders went down fighting – literally – in Tampa. The Buccaneers on Sunday waived the undrafted rookie free agent safety from Colorado, just one day after Sanders was ejected from Saturday’s preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills for throwing a punch against tight end Zach Davidson.

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles made his stance clear on Sanders’ action, calling it “inexcusable” in his postgame remarks. But Bowles has been largely complementary of the young defensive back, leaving open the question of whether he could land back on the Bucs’ practice squad if he goes unclaimed.

“Shilo is very aggressive, very young, and very hungry,” Bowles said last week. “He can make plays in the box and run down to give us 100% on special teams.”

Browns roster cuts: Tyler Huntley out, but four-QB approach seems to be a go

The Cleveland Browns are never short on quarterback news.

On Sunday, the team announced it had released Tyler Huntley, along with three other veterans and 17 players who were waived.

Yet things appear to be clear for the Browns to keep their quartet of quarterbacks – starter Joe Flacco, veteran Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders – on the 53-man roster, with general manager Andrew Berry indicating as much during his team’s preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams.

“Honestly, it’s not much of a decision for us,” Berry told Chris Rose and Joe Thomas on the Browns’ broadcast, per the Akron Beacon Journal.

Jets roster cuts: Former first-rounder dropped

Linebacker Jamin Davis’ attempt to revive his NFL career has hit another snag. The 2021 first-round pick of the Washington Commanders was released by the Jets on Sunday.

Davis, who re-signed with New York in March after being claimed on waivers by the team last December, wasn’t able to latch on with Aaron Glenn and Co. despite some promising flashes over the summer.

The Jets also waived six other players on Sunday: QB Adrian Martinez, DE Michael Fletcher, OT Liam Forandel, TE Zack Kuntz, DB Tanner McCalister and RB Lawrance Toafili. Six more were waived Saturday: CB Mario Goodrich, OT Samuel Jackson, TE Neal Johnson, WR Dymere Miller, DT Fatorma Mullbah and WR Ontaria “Pokey” Wilson.

Falcons roster cuts: Atlanta moves on from DL Morgan Fox five months after deal

The Atlanta Falcons are parting ways with 12 players, including one who might come as a surprise to many.

Defensive lineman Morgan Fox was released Saturday despite having $3 million guaranteed in the two-year deal he signed with the team this offseason.

Rams roster cuts: Eleven players sent packing

Count the Los Angeles Rams among the teams not waiting until Tuesday to get started making cuts.

The team on Sunday announced it was releasing linebacker Tony Fields II and waiving 10 others.

When is the NFL roster cut deadline?

By 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 26, all 32 teams must reduce their active rosters to 53 players. Official word for some teams’ moves, however, might not come until slightly later.

What happens once the NFL roster deadline passes?

NFL teams have until noon ET on Wednesday, Aug. 27, to claim players who are waived as part of league-wide roster reductions. Once those claims are resolved, clubs will begin filling out their practice squads.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL cuts 2025: Latest roster news, rumors for all 32 teams

NFL cuts 2025: Live updates as teams set initial 53-man rosters for season

Tags: