Tracking all of the big NFL cuts and trades, plus preseason winners and losers

Welcome to the most depressing day on the NFL calendar: Cut day. 

With NFL teams trimming their roster from 90 players down to 53 players, that means that nearly 1,200 players will be out of a job by the end of the day. All those moves have to be made by the cut day deadline, which is coming today at 4 p.m. ET. 

With so many cuts going down, things are probably going to get pretty crazy over the next few hours, which is why I had pure Ecuadorian coffee grounds mixed in with my breakfast today. I'll be needing that extra energy. Since it's almost impossible to keep track of every cut, we went ahead and created a cuts tracker. If you want to keep tabs on every player who gets released, just click here. 

Cut day isn't just a big day for cuts; it's also a day where we'll see a lot of trades, so we'll be following all of those as the day unfolds. Also, to break up the monotony of cuts, we'll be unveiling our winners and losers from the preseason. 

As always, here's your daily reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter. To get them signed up, all you have to do is click here. Let's get to the rundown. 

1. NFL cut day is here: Every roster must be trimmed down to 53 players 

The cut deadline is here. Between now and 4 p.m. ET, every roster in the NFL will be trimmed down from 90 players to 53 players. 

When that many players are being released, there are always going to be a few surprises. Although there are still a few more hours to go until the deadline, here's a look at some notable players who have already been released: 

QB Kyle Trask (Buccaneers)
QB Clayton Tune (Cardinals)
QB Tommy DeVito (Giants)
QB Jake Haener (Saints)
QB Desmond Ridder (Bengals)
WR Diontae Johnson (Browns)
LB Isaiah Simmons (Packers)
OL Kenyon Green (Eagles)
CB Mike Hilton (Dolphins)
S Mike Edwards (Chiefs)
P Cameron Johnston (Steelers)

Cuts will be coming out fast and furious all day, and it's not going to be easy to keep track of. The good news is that we've made that easy for you with a CUTS TRACKER. If you want to check out the full list of cuts, you can see that here. (The list won't be final until after the 4 p.m. ET deadline.)

We've also got a live blog that you can follow along -- where we'll be breaking down the cuts and trades AS THEY HAPPEN -- and you can check that out by clicking here.  

2. NFL trade parade: Teams are wheeling and dealing heading into final cuts

Final cuts won't be the only thing happening in the NFL today. There's usually quite a few trades on cut day, and if you're wondering why that happens, it's pretty simple: If a talented player is on the verge of being released, a team will usually call around to see if anyone wants to make a trade before cutting him. By making a deal, they get something in return for a player they were going to cut anyway. 

Here's a look at all the trades that have gone down over the past 24 hours:

BROWNS-RAIDERS TRADE

• Raiders get: QB Kenny Pickett
• Browns get: 2025 fifth-round pick
• Notes: We finally have the answer about whether the Browns will be carrying four quarterbacks into the regular season and the answer is no. Although Pickett didn't play in the preseason due to a hamstring injury, the Browns were still able to find a trade partner. The Raiders were in need of a backup QB after Aidan O'Connell fractured his throwing wrist in the team's preseason finale. 

VIKINGS-COLTS TRADE

• Vikings get: 2026 sixth-round pick
• Colts get: DB Mekhi Blackmon

RAMS-BROWNS TRADE

Browns get: OL KT Leveston
Rams get: 2028 seventh-round pick

TRADE RUMORS: These guys haven't been traded, but you might want to keep an eye on them today. 

• Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers. The veteran receiver has been looking to get a new deal, but the two sides haven't been able to agree on anything, so now, Meyers wants out of Las Vegas. We took a look at four possible landing spots for Meyers and you can check those out here. 
• Texans LT Cam Robinson. Robinson was penciled as the left tackle after being signed by Houston in March, but Aireontae Ersery has thrown a wrench into things. The rookie offensive lineman has been so good during training camp that the Texans are actually thinking about trading Robinson, according to ESPN. 

Basically, it's going to be a busy day, and if you take a nap at any point, you'll probably miss 17 or more moves while you're sleeping, so I think what I'm trying to say is that you probably shouldn't take a nap today. 

3. Overreactions from the NFL preseason

Everyone on the internet loves to overreact to things, and that's especially true when we're talking about the the NFL. With that in mind, Jeff Kerr decided to take a look at several things that happened during the preseason to decide if we're all overreacting. 

Statement: Dillon Gabriel will start games for the Browns this year, Shedeur Sanders won't. 
Overreaction or reality: Reality. Based on how Gabriel improved and his third-round pick status (yes, it does matter) he'll get the call to start over Sanders this season. While it doesn't look optimistic Sanders will start a game this year, that could be beneficial over his long-term development.

Statement: Travis Hunter should play strictly one position this year. 
Overreaction or reality: Overreaction. Hunter is a very good wide receiver, but he could be one of the best in the game if he strictly played there. The same can be said with cornerback ... For Hunter's long-term health, it's better to have him play one position and have him on the field. This won't be the case in 2025, especially with a rebuilding Jaguars team looking for an identity. Hunter makes two positions better on a team that needs help in both areas.

Statement: Jaxson Dart will be the Giants' starting QB by Week 6. 
Overreaction or reality: Overreaction. This is a better Giants team than in years past, but there's no reason to rush Dart with Wilson and Winston around. This is a brutal schedule in the first half, and it doesn't get any easier in November (49ers, Bears, Packers, and Lions). The Giants need to be patient with Dart and can give him a chance to succeed later in the year. There's no reason to play Dart as early as possible, no matter the struggles in the early going. 

There are plenty more overreactions, and if you want to check those out, be sure to click here. 

4. Winners and losers from the NFL preseason

After today, you might not hear me talk about the 2025 preseason ever again, so we're going to go out with a bang: Jared Dubin is going to give us some winners and losers from the preseason. 

Let's take a look at two winners and two losers from his list. 

WINNERS

• Chiefs offense. The Chiefs ran 22 plays with Patrick Mahomes on the field during the preseason, and they scored three touchdowns. They actually created some explosive gains down the field for a change, with seven of those 22 plays gaining 10-plus yards and two of them going for 20-plus. ... With a healthy wide receiver corps to start the season, we could see the high-flying Chiefs offense make a comeback.
• TreVeyon Henderson. Henderson led all rookies in yards per carry during the preseason at 7.1, albeit on only five actual rush attempts. He scored on one of those runs, though, and also caught three passes. All this on just 16 offensive snaps. Oh, and he scored a touchdown on his first NFL touch, taking a kickoff 100 yards to the house.

LOSERS

• Jerry Jones/Cowboys fans. Jones is embroiled in yet another contract dispute that should have been easily handled a year ago, this time with Micah Parsons actually firing back at him in the media. The Cowboys look like a joke in this situation, largely because they are one. And you can bet your bottom dollar that we'll be right back doing the same thing next year with Tyler Smith because Jones is constitutionally incapable of learning from his mistakes.
• Anthony Richardson. Richardson was a literal loser during the preseason, coming up short in a quarterback competition against Daniel Jones. Heading into the third year of his career, it looks like his time in Indianapolis could soon be done.

If you want to see Dubin's full list of winners and losers, we've got that here. 

5. Bengals finally get deal done with Trey Hendrickson: Three things to know

Terry McLaurin wasn't the only disgruntled star to get a new contract on Monday, Trey Hendrickson also landed one from the Bengals. However, unlike McLaurin, the Bengals star didn't get a big extension. Instead, he simply agreed to a restructured contract. 

Here are three things to know: 

• Why this was big for Hendrickson. The Bengals star was set to make just $16 million in 2025 and now, he'll be almost doubling that total. According to SI, Hendrickson will be making a total of $29 million this year and he'll also be able to add a $1 million bonus if he plays at least 60% of the team's snaps AND the Bengals make the playoffs. This means he'll have the chance to earn an extra $14 million. By not extending the deal, this also allows Hendrickson to potentially become a free agent in 2026, but that's not a given, since the Bengals could potentially use the franchise tag on him. 
• Why this was big for the Bengals. The Bengals are likely thrilled with this outcome. For one, they now have their best defensive player on the field for the 2025 season. Also, the Bengals now have Hendrickson under contract on their terms. They didn't want to guarantee any money past the first year, and now, they can potentially keep him for three years by paying one year of guarantees at a time. They could tag him in 2026, which would cost an estimated $36 million (If Hendrickson plays well in 2025, that number will be a steal). The Bengals could also tag him in 2027 at $43.2 million. That number is high, but two years from now, it likely won't be the top of the pass-rushing market, and if Hendrickson plays at a high level in 2026, then paying him that amount in 2027 wouldn't be crazy.  
• Hendrickson's reaction. The Bengals star pass rusher, who hasn't practiced a single time since training camp started, is now eager for the 2025 season to start. "It gives us a couple of more good practices [before the opener], and with a great offseason in the books, both personally and as a team, I feel like now we can go collectively play for the 2025 Bengals. And what's best for the team is the best players playing in their relative positions," Hendrickson told the team's official website. 

You can read more about Hendrickson's signing here. 

6. Extra points: Raiders sign Amari Cooper

It was a busy 24 hours in the NFL, and since it's nearly impossible to keep track of everything that happened, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you. 

• Amari Cooper returning to Raiders. The veteran receiver started his career with the Raiders in 2015, and now, he's making a return to the team 10 years later. The 31-year-old has a agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Raiders that could be worth up to $6 million, according to NFL Media. You can check out the details of the signing here. 
• Dolphins need a kicker. The Dolphins won't have Jason Sanders for at least the first month of the season. According to ESPN, Sanders is expected to miss 4 to 5 weeks with a hip injury. Sanders, who is a former first-team All-Pro, has never missed a game in his career. 
• Falcons kicking battle is over. After watching Younghoe Koo struggle last season, the Falcons decided to bring in some competition for him this year in the form of German kicker Lenny Krieg. Although Krieg had a solid preseason, the Falcons have decided to cut him, according to NFL Media. That means that Koo will be returning for a seventh season in Atlanta.