How many NFL players get cut after the preseason? When are players cut?
The NFL preseason in upon us and teams around the league are preparing their squads for the regular season where only 53 men will make the final team.
Thursday marks the official first week of the NFL Preseason with all 32 teams kicking off the new campaign in the weeks leading up to the regular season. The brand new 17 game season means the preseason will be cut short by a week, leaving less time for rookies and those on the fringe of the NFL rosters to impress.
Slight tweek in this years cut days
Previously, NFL franchises were allowed to take their 90-man roster all the way to the final game of preseason and then decide to cut a large chunk of unwanted talent from the roster. After Covid affected everything, including preseason rosters that were cut down to 80 players, the league returned to their usual 90-man roster to start preseason.
NFL franchises will go from a 90 man roster at the start of training camp to a 53-man over the course of the three week preseason. Teams will makes cuts in a three stage process.
August 17th the first day of cuts
The first batch of cuts comes on August 17th, just days after every team plays their first preseason game. In the first round of cuts the roster will go from 90 players to 85 players.
The second cut day will come after the second week of preseason seven days later. Five players will be cut on the 24th of August. Those who survive the first two cuts will have another week to impress the coaches and make the final roster.
27 players cut on the last day of August
The third and final cut comes on the last day of August, when the roster will be shaved from 80 players to an NFL max 53 man roster. Those who make it through the third day of cuts will be officially included on the 17 game regular season roster.
The one big difference this year is the cut days will take place on Tuesdays instead of the Saturday’s giving coaches a few more days to mull over decisions. While cuts may be made before these deadlines, the rosters must meet the criteria laid out by the league.
Hard Knocks and cut days for Cowboys
HBO’s Hard Knocks documents the entire preseason and the painstaking anguish or uncontrollable joy of cut days as the Dallas Cowboys get their squad set for opening day on the second Sunday in September.