Roster cuts are looming for all 32 NFL teams, meaning tough decisions are ahead. Most of the players on this list, in fact, will force dilemmas in their respective front offices. That said, all of them might have just exhausted their final chances to prove to their respective teams why they need another chance. Leading the way is J.J. McCarthy, but there are four other players are on the chopping block and could very well end up as a free agent by Sunday’s deadline.
QB J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
It just feels like Minnesota is ready to sever ties with the former national champion. They brought in Kyler Murray hoping to bring the best out of McCarthy, only for him to lose the starting job. Now that he’s ailing with an ankle injury, threatening his preseason finale, it could cost him the QB2 gig and a roster spot. Minnesota would be irresponsible to keep all three quarterbacks, though there’s a world in which they could rationalize it given the injury histories involved.
Carson Wentz outplayed McCarthy last year despite appearing in half as many games. McCarthy had 400 more passing yards than Wentz and more touchdowns by virtue of just playing more games, but Wentz averaged 80 more passing yards per game than McCarthy. The offense ran smoother under Wentz, and it clearly runs smoother with Murray under center.
It’s hard to think the Vikings would just outright cut McCarthy; somebody will have to consider trading for him. Either way, though, McCarthy’s days in Minnesota are numbered and it’s only a matter of time before he either becomes another team’s problem or nobody’s problem at all.
QB Dillon Gabriel, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland isn’t carrying a deep quarterback room into the 2026 season like it did in 2025. That leaves Dillon Gabriel as the odd player out, which shouldn’t come as a surprise at all given that he lost the starting job to Shedeur Sanders at the end of last season and, despite being a third-round pick, wasn’t even in the quarterback battle this preseason. Rookie Taylen Green has shown he’s a better emergency/developmental option than Gabriel, and it’s clear the Browns are ready to move on.
Gabriel’s value is so low right now that Cleveland can’t even trade him. They’ll be forced to release him and maybe add him onto the practice squad. Maybe he’ll be Kevin Stefanski’s problem now — hey, he does have a surplus of lefties in his quarterback room in Atlanta as is. Wbut whoever decides to sign Gabriel, it will be after 53-man rosters are finalized. Gabriel was a bad pick when it happened, and the fact that he’s closer to being cut than he is making the roster is everything you need to know about how far he’s fallen in one year.
EDGE Sam Williams, Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys knew they needed a lot of depth on the defensive line, so they traded for Rashan Gary, signed Von Miller and then drafted Malachi Lawrence. You do the math; Sam Williams is now the odd man out. He was drafted in the second round in 2022, but injuries have upended his NFL career and Dallas has essentially already moved on. Though there’s a world in which he stays on strictly as depth, he’s more likely going to end up a free agent.
The Cowboys have come out better than if they retained Micah Parsons at this point. Williams was probably once viewed as a key building block to the pass rush in the post-Parsons era. That’s no longer the case, and his last preseason game in 2026 could be the final chance he has to impress the front office before they decide to cut him.
QB Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers
There’s no way Pittsburgh is seriously considering carrying four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, not a year after Stefans berated the Browns for making that exact move. Drew Allar has quickly worked his way into the fold as a potential backup option, but he’s a long way from starting. That doesn’t mean that after his standout preseason debut he can’t be a backup to Aaron Rodgers.
This is a bold prediction. It’s one of the less likely moves to happen, but it’s not irrational. Will Howard is more likely to get cut if Pittsburgh doesn’t want four quarterbacks on the active roster. Rudolph is only around in the event Rodgers goes down and Pittsburgh wants a comfortable option as a backup. There’s no harm, though, in giving the rookie a chance if it arises.
QB Anthony Richardson Sr., Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Richardson Sr. is as good as gone in Indianapolis. After all, the Colts entertained the idea of trading him earlier in the offseason, but not even a team as desperate for quarterback depth as the Atlanta Falcons came calling. That leaves Indy with just one option, and that’s cutting Richardson to keep things from further spiraling. Sure, at times he’s looked serviceable, but at the end of the day the team feels done with dealing with him as a project.
Indianapolis has Riley Leonard to backup Daniel Jones, which the Colts would probably prefer anyway. If Indianapolis wants more depth in their quarterback room or better options, they’ll wait until after rosters are finalized and find another team’s leftovers to add.
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