When is the final cut deadline for NFL teams to announce thier final rosters?
There are just over two weeks until the NFL regular season starts, but until then teams will be plenty busy trying to trim their roster down to 53 players.
Week 2 of the NFL preseason wrapped up on Monday night from FedEx Field as the Washington Commanders put an end to the 24 game preseason winning streak of the Baltimore Ravens. There is just one more week of exhibition games left before teams start shaving the fat off their roster in preparations to kick off the regular season.
Cutdown day lingers
It’s the day that many players have either dreamed about or dreaded. The shadow of NFL cut day looms over training camps for the month of August, as coaches, scouts and front offices members retrace every move, every pass, every tackle and every mistake with a fine tooth comb.
When a player is on the brink of sinking or swimming, those mistakes, as little as they may be could be what separates the getting a roster spot and being left off the 53 man squad for the regular season. Needless to say, those fighting for the last few spots on a roster are under a tremendous amount of pressure leading up the the final day of cuts.
Before this year, players were put through a series of cut days that would take place after every preseason game. That was when there were generally four weeks of preseason games, and there was a bit more time to make the gradual cuts throughout the month of August.
Just one cutdown date this year
This year, things have changed. There are just three preseason games, and instead of shaving the roster down to 53 men week by week, NFL teams are suiting up 90 players throughout the preseason and the final cuts will be made on August 29th.
This doesn’t mean that a team can’t jump the gun and cut a player who hasn’t been performing in preseason or training camp. There is still freedom to cut players, but there aren’t a specific set of dates and a number of cuts that have to be made leading up the the final regular season roster being named.
Cutdown day, as it’s now called, can either be a day full of overwhelming joy or inconsolable heartbreak as players childhood dreams are either made or shattered in an instant. While the bad news may hit hard, there are options for players to keep playing, despite not being on the roster.
Post cut options
A team can keep a player on their practice squad, which consists of 16 players that aren’t a part of the roster. Getting signed to the practice squad allows that player to continue practicing during the week, while getting reps and if they play well enough there is a chance they get called up to the 53 man roster depending on injuries or trades later in the season.
Those down the depth chart coming into this week understand their time to impress is running out, and if they are going to make the roster, they are going to have to convince coaches with in the next few days.