Just like that, the NFL’s preseason is almost over. In just a few short weeks, we’ll officially be ready for Week 1, but before we get there, all 32 teams have one more important deadline on their radar: roster cuts. Right now, teams have free reign to carry up to 90 players on their preseason roster. Unfortunately, you can’t have that type of depth in the regular season; every front office will have to trim things down to 53 players before the regular season begins
Here’s everything you need to know about the most important deadline of the preseason, including when the final roster cut is and how the system works. After the final preseason games this weekend, teams will have a very good idea of who they want to carry on the active roster.
When is the NFL’s roster cut deadline? Everything to know
TheNFL teams have to have to have their rosters at 53 players by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 30. That gives coaches just a couple days after the final preseason game to make any last-minute decisions on who should make the team and who should be released. For the most part, most teams already have an idea of which 30 or so players won’t make the roster, it’s usually the final 10 or so that keep staffs up at night.
In years past, teams used to have specific cut numbers they had to hit at various points of the preseason. But with the decision to shorten preseason from four games to three, the other deadline days went away — and now there’s just one date by which every roster has to reach 53 players.
Do players on injured reserved/PUP list count toward roster count?
Throughout the preseason, player injury designations may not seem like a big deal. But whether a player is listed on injured reserve or the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list matters greatly when it comes time to trim down the roster. The designation matters because it will determine which players are counted toward the 53-man roster and which ones aren’t.
Injured reserve designation
- Preseason IR means player will most likely miss regular season
- Players on IR don’t count toward roster limit, still count against salary cap
- Players can be activated off IR, but a player has to be cut/waived if at 53 maximum limit
When a player is placed on IR during the preseason, it’s the team essentially saying they’ll miss the regular season. This usually happens when a player suffers a major injury that will require surgery and a lengthy recovery. That said, a player can be activated off the IR list during the season; they’ll just enter the acclimation period and a roster spot will have to open up before they can be activated, whether via waiving or cutting a player. Any player on IR has to miss a minimum of four games.
PUP list designation
- Players can be on active/PUP or reserve/PUP list
- A player cannot be on PUP list after they’ve practiced or played in preseason game
- PUP is a football-related injury list
The Physically Unable to Perform list operates slightly differently than the injured reserve list. There are two different designations during camp: active and reserve. If a player is on the active/PUP list, they can participate in all team activities except practice. A player can be moved to the reserve/PUP list during the roster cutdown period ,and doing so means they won’t count toward the 53-man limit. That said, if a player is on reserve/PUP list, they have to miss the first four games of the season.
Notable names on the roster cut bubble ahead of deadline day
QB J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
How likely is it that J.J. McCarthy gets cut? Well, it depends on how much the Minnesota Vikings like Carson Wentz as a backup option — and how much they might be able to fetch via trade. McCarthy lost out to Kyler Murray for the starting job and now the Vikings have to either carry Wentz and McCarthy or make a decision and have Max Brosmer as an emergency option. Murray does have a rough injury history, so there’s value in having three quarterbacks on the roster, but it feels like McCarthy’s days are just about done in Minnesota barring a massive preseason outing in the finale (that is, if he’s healthy enough to play).
WR Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants
It was a fun reunion during the preseason, but reality is going to strike the New York Giants soon. There’s no real need to bring Odell Beckham Jr. onto the active roster for Week 1. He’s aging, and nothing more than a depth option right now. He won’t be too hot a commodity, so if the Giants feel like they need receiver depth during the year they’ll be able to pluck him as a free agent.
RB Kaleb Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers
At one point, Kaleb Johnson was looked at as the potential long-term replacement to Najee Harris. Now, he’s fighting for a roster spot — and with the addition of Rico Dowdle, it all but seals his fate as a cut candidate. The Steelers need improvement in the run game, and for now, Jaylen Warren and Dowdle are the best options. Unless something drastic happens during the preseason finale, Johnson will probably end up being a free agent, and he only has himself to blame.
WR Christian Kirk, San Francisco 49ers
Christian Kirk was always a wild card option for San Francisco. He was handed a ridiculous contract by the Jacksonville Jaguars after his only good season in the NFL and has been injured at various points with every team he’s played with since — including the Niners. De’Zhaun Stribling has quickly worked his way into a bigger role, Mike Evans is ol’ reliable and Deebo Samuel is back for what could be a curtain call. You know it’s bad when a team that desperately needs receiver depth has no problem releasing you.
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