NFL
Biggest NFL roster cut shocks: Peyton Manning, Tim Tebow, Jerry Rice
As we await confirmation of the final 53-man rosters for the 2024/25 NFL season, here’s a look back at the biggest surprise cuts.
Later today, all 32 NFL teams will have to announce their final rosters for the upcoming season. After the culmination of preseason on Sunday evening, teams must cut their 90-man training squads to a roster of 53 players.
Despite the huge salary cap increase, many teams still need to make significant cuts to ensure that they come in under that $255.4 million upper limit and avoid facing punishment from the league.
Of course, this is nothing new. Every year there is a mad scramble to make room in the annual budget and that often means some big names find themselves without a team. Here’s a look back at some of the biggest names to have found themselves heading to the exit...
DeMarcus Ware, left the Dallas Cowboys in 2014
One of the Cowboys’ best players of recent times, Ware had just become the team’s all-time sack leader when he was swiftly removed from the roster in 2014. Dallas were suffering severe salary cap issues at the time and felt they had no option other than to release Ware, who was ranked 12th in the NFL’s Top 100 Players of 2013
He signed a lucrative three-year, $30 million contract with the Denver Broncos the day after being released and he received Pro Bowl honours during his first year with the Broncos. Ware was a part of Denver’s Super Bowl-winning 2015 team and went on make nine Pro Bowl appearances.
Peyton Manning, left the Indianapolis Colts in 2012
It doesn’t get much bigger than the five-time NFL Most Valuable Player who led the Colts to their first and only Super Bowl win. Manning was still a top player but, coming off a year on the sidelines and due a huge $28 million roster bonus, the Colts decided that they needed to part ways.
Manning’s departure in March 2012 freed up salary cap space for Indianapolis, who had the first overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. They snapped up highly-rated quarter-back Andrew Luck. The new QB set the NFL record for most passing yards in a rookie season but failed to come close to replicating Manning’s success.
Tim Tebow, left the New England Patriots in 2013
One of the biggest stars in the history of college football, the two-time BCS national champion never truly found his place in the NFL. Tim Tebow was drafted by the Broncos in 2010 and spent a year with the New York Jets before signing for the New England Patriots in 2013, ahead of the team’s mandatory minicamp.
However his time with the Patriots was short-lived and he failed to impress in his preseason appearances. In August 2013, just two months after joining the team, Tebow was cut from the roster.
Jerry Rice, left the San Francisco 49ers in 2001
San Francisco’s decision to release Jerry Rice sent shockwaves through the NFL. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in league history, Rice spent 15 years with the San Francisco 49ers - winning three Super Bowls with the team - before being cut in June 2001.
The 49ers were eager to rebuild there team and needed to make space in their salary cap. Rice went on to sign a four-year, $7.8 million deal with the Oakland Raiders and he continued to impress, receiving Pro Bowl honours for the 13th time in 2002. In 2010 Rice was ranked number one in NFL Network’s production The Top 100: NFL’s Greatest Players.
The deadline for 2024/25 NFL rosters is Tuesday, August 24 at 4pm ET / 1pm PT. All 32 teams in the NFL will need to submit squad lists of 53 players ahead of the start of the new season. We’ll be bringing you full coverage of all the comings and goings throughout the day.