NFL Cut Dates: When must preseason rosters be trimmed?
- No more waves of NFL cuts
- When must teams reduce rosters from 90 players to 53?
By Tommy Jaggi
In the past, NFL teams went through waves of roster cuts. Each year, front offices and coaching staffs are tasked with the challenging decisions as to which players to cut. Those who weren't performing well in training camp or the preseason were subject to be released early, while other hopeful young players were able to stick around until the final wave of roster cuts.
However, things are going to work differently in 2023. Instead of having multiple cutdown periods, the number of dates has been reduced to just one. This means that, within a matter of hours, NFL teams could be shedding roughly 40 percent of their roster in one fell swoop.
So when must preseason rosters be trimmed and what does it mean for the players?
When are NFL roster cuts in 2023?
According to Football Operations, NFL roster cuts will be finalized by Tuesday, August 29th. This means that, by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, clubs must officially have their rosters reduced to 53 players. Prior to this point, teams are allowed to have as many as 90 players on the roster.
In addition to this, teams that have players categorized as Active/Physically Unable to Perform or Active/Non-Football Injury or Illness must either place them on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform or Reserve/Non- Football Injury or Illness or terminate their contract.
Because this is the first year in which there will be only one roster cutdown day, it will be very interesting to see what type of approach NFL teams take. Some may elect to release players in the weeks leading up to the deadline in an effort to get more camp and preseason reps for those they believe will make the team. Other teams might choose to wait until the final days or even hours leading up to the deadline to reduce their roster to 53 players.
This also means that there is likely to be a flood of players hitting waivers and free agency all at once. This will be a busy time for general managers and front offices as they sift through hundreds of players to find someone they could poach for their active roster.
Waiver claims will take place until the following day at noon Eastern Time. On August 30th, teams may assemble their 16-man practice squad.