Cut day is coming: when NFL teams have to trim their roster to 53 men
The NFL season is right around the corner, but first the 32 teams have one final preseason game and one final look at their players down the depth chart.
For a lot of guys around the NFL, this weekend could be the biggest moment of their lives. The final batch of preseason games kick off on Thursday and there are a lot of players who will be playing for a roster spot before teams trim down to a 53 players for the 2025 campaign.
Decision day looming
Game 3 of the preseason is usually the least interesting of all for the casual NFL fan. Most of the starters don’t play, and if they do they play a couple of snaps. Coaches dive deep into their depth chart to play guys that are on the fringe of making the team, and that’s what is special about the weekend coming up.
Guys will be fighting for a dream they have had since they were little kids, and they will be playing like their lives are on the line. There is one more chance to make a final impression on the coaching staff before the last cut day.
The final game of the preseason wraps up on Saturday night in Arizona where the Cardinals and Raiders will get their final tune up before Week 1. Before they can start focusing on their opening day opponents, each team will have to trim their roster down to 53 men by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, August 26th.
All eyes on Shedeur
Of all of the players vying for a roster spot, no one has more attention circling him than Shedeur Sanders. Sanders is one of five QBs on the Cleveland Browns, and after a great debut with the Browns he missed last week’s game. That leaves one more game to impress the coaches and secure his name on the final roster.
Teams started training camp with as many as 90 players, and the guys who are still around are in store for either a massive heartbreak or an overload of joy as the cut day comes closer. Players will be focused on this weekend’s games, but then come the nervy moments where all they can do is sit and wait.
Players who survive are on the roster for the 2025 season. Players who don’t, have a few options. Some will join the practice squad. Some will join other teams who might need a little more depth at a specific position. Some could look to play abroad. While some will go the next year without playing football at all.
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