The NFL’s 1,184 forgotten men facing the axe

The 2025 NFL regular season is almost here - the Eagles and Cowboys will open the campaign on September 4 - and all 32 teams are putting the finishing touches on their squads. Last weekend marked the third and final week of the preseason, leaving no room for experimentation; it’s all about the real deal now. But before the first snap, tough decisions must be made.

When is the roster deadline for the 2025 NFL season?

Tuesday is widely regarded as one of the hardest days of the year in the NFL. Over a thousand players will find themselves without a roster spot. During the preseason, teams can carry up to 90 players. This makes sense: preseason games are low-stakes, star players see only limited action, and lesser-known players have a chance to prove they belong on the final roster.

By 4 p.m. ET Tuesday, every franchise must cut down to 53 players, the number they’ll start the regular season with. Shilo Sanders, one of NFL legend Deion Sanders’ sons and a defensive player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was among the first casualties.

What happens to players who are cut?

All told, 1,184 players will be notified that their services are no longer needed. The good news? Nearly half, around 500, usually land somewhere else shortly after, often on a team’s practice squad. These squads allow players to participate in team practices without being eligible to play in games.

For them, it’s a waiting game: they must hope for injuries or roster changes to get another chance. But for many others, the dream of playing in the NFL, a league in which competition is brutal, ends abruptly.

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