It's cutdown day in the NFL. Now that the preseason is in the books, this milestone on the calendar requires every club in the league to trim the fat from a bloated 90-man offseason roster and whittle it down to their initial 53-man unit as they gear up for the 2026 regular season. Teams are required to get to the 53-man threshold by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 30.
Given the assignment, there will, of course, be a lot of subtraction across the NFL. That said, this is also a period where teams make acquisitions. One avenue for that comes via the waiver wire. Once cut loose by their current teams, those players subject to waivers will be available for claim by any other franchise.
This initial wave will occur until 1 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 31. During that time, teams may make claims on players, and depending on where they stand in the waiver-wire order, they'll either be awarded their top option or their secondary priority (if they have one).
Below, we'll provide an explainer of the waiver-wire process, along with the exact order for this go-around, while also distinguishing which players are not subject to waivers and could end up on practice squads.
How is the initial waiver wire determined?
It's pretty simple, actually. The initial waiver wire order is determined by the 2026 NFL Draft order, or the final overall standings from the 2025 season (including playoffs).
One thing worth noting is that it's the true draft order from this spring, meaning that even if your team traded its first-round pick and moved around the board during last April's draft, where they initially held position is where they stand in waivers. For example, the Cincinnati Bengals traded the No. 10 overall pick to the New York Giants for Dexter Lawrence. Despite not picking 10th when the draft actually began, the Bengals still have the 10th priority on waivers. Conversely, the Giants don't have multiple waiver claims.
This order will remain throughout the first three weeks of the season. After that, the order will align with the current overall league standings.
Opening waiver wire order for 2026
- Las Vegas Raiders
- New York Jets
- Arizona Cardinals
- Tennessee Titans
- New York Giants
- Cleveland Browns
- Washington Commanders
- New Orleans Saints
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Miami Dolphins
- Dallas Cowboys
- Atlanta Falcons
- Baltimore Ravens
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Indianapolis Colts
- Detroit Lions
- Minnesota Vikings
- Carolina Panthers
- Green Bay Packers
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Chicago Bears
- Buffalo Bills
- San Francisco 49ers
- Houston Texans
- Los Angeles Rams
- Denver Broncos
- New England Patriots
- Seattle Seahawks
Which players are subject to waivers?
If a player has less than four accrued seasons played in the NFL, they will more often than not be subject to waivers. Their names will be added to a pool of other waived players, and teams will be able to submit a claim. If multiple teams claim the same player, the organization with the higher placement on the opening waiver wire is awarded the player.
Meanwhile, players with at least four accrued seasons are considered vested veterans, meaning they are not subject to waivers and are free agents after being released. That allows them to scope the market and choose their next destination, rather than possibly being plucked off waivers with no say in the matter.
How are practice squads constructed?
Along with filing waiver claims and trimming the active roster down to 53 players, NFL front offices will soon also begin constructing their practice squads. Officially, teams will be able to put these practice squads together starting at 12 p.m. ET on Aug. 31.
In the past, this squad mainly consisted of younger players, with teams allowed to carry up to four players with two years of NFL experience. Now, of those 16 players that teams can carry on the practice squad, six can be veterans with no limit on accrued seasons.
A veteran can join the practice unit at any time if there is no spot for them on another active roster somewhere in the league. Meanwhile, players subject to waivers will need to clear that hurdle before becoming eligible for a practice squad.
As a reminder, practice squad players practice with the team, but don't play in games unless they are elevated to the active roster. They are free to sign with any NFL team at any time, but will need to be added to a team's 53-man roster. A player is not permitted to sign from practice squad to practice squad.
