All articles tagged with #roster cutdown
The Steelers trimmed to 53 players and crowned three winners— undrafted defensive lineman Kevin Jobity Jr. and a surprising Eli Heidenreich— while GM Omar Khan earned praise for two trades that added draft capital (Broderick Jones to Dallas, Kaleb Johnson to Green Bay). Losers included Will Howard and DeShon Elliott, who landed on IR; the moves signal a reshaped depth chart heading into the season.
Roster-cutdown day saw Josh Jacobs placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List amid an ongoing investigation, with Marshawn Lloyd stepping in as Packers’ starter and Kaleb Johnson acquired in a trade to bolster the backfield. The Cowboys cut Jaydon Blue, heightening Malik Davis’s handcuff upside, while Puka Nacua’s risk dips as he returns to practice. James Conner and Tank Dell remain sidelined early, Jordyn Tyson is expected to miss months with a hamstring issue, and Aaron Donald’s unretirement chatter adds a defensive streaming note for Week 1.
As the Jets finalize their 53-man roster, they could target veteran interior linemen Andre James and Trevor Keegan and kicker Ben Sauls after mixed preseason results, aiming to shore up backup OL depth and the kicking game; James provides experience, Keegan flashed upside, and Sauls could offer a longer-term solution despite hip-injury concerns.
KC and Seattle battled to a 9-9 tie in the preseason finale, leaving Chiefs’ roster decisions at the forefront: Andrew Armstrong’s erratic play could cloud a back-end skill-position spot, while rookie Mason Thomas flashed pass-rush ability; Garrett Nussmeier continued to show arm talent with questions under pressure; the run game looked balanced behind Demercado, Johnson and Smith; Nikko Remigio’s returns likely secure his spot, and an injury to Melvin Smith could affect the depth as the team trims to 53 by Sunday.
The Minnesota Vikings traded defensive tackle Harrison Phillips to the New York Jets for two sixth-round picks, as part of their roster adjustments ahead of NFL cutdown day, while managing salary cap space and maintaining a deep defensive line roster.
The NFL teams must reduce their rosters to 53 players by August 26, 2025, with practice squad announcements following on August 27. Teams can have up to 16 players on the practice squad, with an exception for International Pathway Program players. Injured players can be placed on Injured Reserve, and teams like the Chargers can claim waived players from other teams during the waiver period.