{"id":333060,"date":"2026-08-30T05:50:49","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T05:50:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/333060\/"},"modified":"2026-08-30T05:50:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T05:50:49","slug":"new-york-jets-53-man-roster-cut-tracker-2026-live-updates-and-analysis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/333060\/","title":{"rendered":"New York Jets 53-Man Roster Cut Tracker 2026: Live updates and analysis"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New York Jets’ preseason has officially come to an end. The next time the Jets take the field for an actual football game will be for the team’s regular-season opener against Robert Saleh<\/a> and the Tennessee Titans in two weeks’ time.<\/p>\n

But before then, the Jets have some business to attend to. NFL teams are in the process of trimming 90-man rosters down to 53, with a league-wide deadline set for Sunday, August 28, at 6 pm ET<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That means over 1,100 professional football players will be released from their contracts in the coming days. For some, it’ll be a minor bump in the road before latching on with a practice squad or another team. For others, it might just be the end of their football journey.<\/p>\n

There will undoubtedly be some surprises as the Jets trim their roster to the league-mandated 53 players. And as always, a team\u2019s initial 53-man roster is rarely the final product. The Jets have the No. 2 spot on the waiver order and could be active in the hours following cutdown day.<\/p>\n

This tracker will be used to keep fans up to date with every roster cut the Jets make, including up-to-the-minute analysis on every single move. This is the ONLY roster cut tracker you will need.<\/p>\n

Below is a list of all the roster moves the Jets have reportedly made to this point. This list will be regularly updated, so be sure to\u00a0check back frequently\u00a0to remain in the know on every move the Jets make over the next couple of days.<\/p>\n

*Last Updated: Aug. 29, 2026 at 11:36 pm ET*<\/p>\n

Jets Roster Cuts Tracker:<\/a>Jets Roster Cut News and Analysis:<\/a>Jets Roster Cuts Tracker:<\/p>\n

Position<\/p>\n

Player<\/p>\n

QB<\/p>\n

Bailey Zappe<\/p>\n

DL<\/p>\n

Junior Tafuna<\/p>\n

DL<\/p>\n

Mazi Smith<\/p>\n

SAF<\/p>\n

Dean Clark<\/p>\n

Jets Roster Cut News and Analysis:<\/p>\n

The Jets signed Bailey Zappe to a futures deal in January as a worthwhile flier on a young quarterback who had started (and won!) a handful of NFL games before. He technically entered OTAs competing with Cade Klubnik and Brady Cook for the QB2 job, although it was never a true competition.<\/p>\n

Zappe was outplayed by Cook in the preseason and, quite frankly, didn’t even look like someone the Jets should keep around on their practice squad. Don’t be surprised if the Jets look elsewhere for a practice squad QB.<\/p>\n

DL Junior Tafuna – SOURCE<\/a><\/p>\n

The Jets claimed Junior Tafuna off waivers from the Houston Texans earlier this month, and he failed to make much of an impression in his brief time with the team this summer. Tafuna’s 37.0 PFF grade was the third-lowest among all players on the Jets’ roster in the preseason.<\/p>\n

Tafuna played a lot of football across four years at Utah and earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors on three separate occasions, but the Jets will likely look elsewhere for defensive line depth on their practice squad.<\/p>\n

Mazi Smith was little more than a throw-in in the Quinnen Williams trade last fall, and he did little during his brief stint in Florham Park to leave much of an impression on Jets fans.<\/p>\n

Smith appeared in just three games for the Jets last season and struggled to get run over undrafted rookies and players signed off the street late in the year. His performance this summer didn’t do anything to change the narrative.<\/p>\n

The former Cowboys first-round pick was one of PFF’s lowest-graded Jets in the preseason (41.7), and it’s safe to say the team could probably do better as far as practice squad defensive line options are concerned. Don’t expect the Jets to bring him back.<\/p>\n

Dean Clark was one of the most notable members of the Jets’ 2025 undrafted class, appearing in 12 games and making two starts as a rookie last season. Clark was primarily used on special teams, although he saw some action on defense late in the year.<\/p>\n

A former Kent State and Fresno State standout, Clark put together a quality preseason, allowing zero catches on two targets and finishing with a 0% missed-tackle rate. He’s an obvious practice squad candidate who could see some playing time this season if injuries occur.<\/p>\n

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