There's still one week of preseason action to be played, but it's never too early to look ahead to roster cut day.
After each team finishes its preseason slate, rosters will be under construction as teams frantically try to meet size requirements for both the active squad and practice squad.
Some cuts will be easy, while others will be difficult decisions that could come back to haunt teams.
Here's a full breakdown of NFL cutdown day in 2024, which is just over a week away:
What is NFL cutdown day?
Cutdown day is the deadline when teams must trim their preseason rosters to fit the regular season roster size. They can accomplish this by releasing players, trading players or moving players to their practice squads.
When are NFL roster cuts in 2024?
In previous years, there were cutdown days after every preseason week to gradually trim rosters down from 90 to 53. That rule changed last season, as there's now just one date when teams must get to 53 players: Tuesday, Aug. 27.
Players can be traded or cut before Aug. 27, but there is no rule requiring teams to gradually make moves anymore. A team could theoretically carry 90 players throughout the entire preseason -- but it would then have to cut 37 players on the cut day.
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Since this is the first year without multiple cut days, it's unclear how each team will handle the process of setting its regular season roster.
When does the NFL preseason end in 2024?
The third and final week of the 2024 preseason will conclude on Sunday, Aug. 25, with the New England Patriots and Washington Commanders facing off on NBC and Peacock at 8 p.m. ET.
That leaves those teams with only two days to make roster cuts. Week 3 will have two games on Thursday (Aug. 22), three games on Friday (Aug. 23), eight games on Saturday (Aug. 24) and three games on Sunday (Aug. 25) before roster cuts on Tuesday (Aug. 27).
How many players are on an NFL team in 2024?
Teams are allowed to carry 90 players in the offseason, but rosters must be cut to 53 players by Aug. 27 and remain at that number throughout the season.
Despite having 53 players on the roster, only 48 are allowed to be active on game day.
In addition to the 53-man active roster, each club can carry up to 17 players on its regular season practice squad.
NFL practice squad rules for 2024
Practice squads can now include 17 players, as long as one is considered an international player. That player can be chosen through the NFL's International Player Pathway program or via their own scouting department.
Here are the qualifications for practice squad players, who can be signed by any other team and leave immediately at any time if it's for an active roster spot:
- Players who do not have a season of NFL experience (rookies).
- Players who were on the active list for fewer than nine regular-season games during their only season (second-year players).
- Up to four players per team who have played no more than two seasons (no game limitations).
- Up to six players per team with no limitations as to their number of seasons played.
