NFL clubs are required to cut rosters from 90 to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, meaning roughly 1,100 men will lose jobs throughout the process.
With those cuts already underway following the final preseason games, Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay was asked what his message was to players who were close to making the roster but still had to fight to stay in the NFL.
"The thing is real clarity with the feedback, you know," he said. "If you care about these guys enough, you want to be honest with them. You want to have the appropriate empathy and tell them the first thing we always try to do is make sure that there's appreciation and gratitude for the work that they put in. If this means this is the end of the journey for now with us. I think clarity is a gift for people. I think it can be a force multiplier, and I think leaning into some of those hard conversations with the right tone, right appreciation is what we want to be able to try to do. Those are the difficult parts of this job, but I think you owe it to them to establish appreciation, but also honesty of why we are in this position and how you can move forward positively."
Cut day underscores the brutal part of professional football. The job's not for everyone, and for most, it's not a long-term option. The best organizations employ empathy for those young men whose NFL journey is at the end or teetering on the edge.
What's next for players after cuts?
After cuts, some players land on practice squads. Teams can sign up to 16 players, including six veterans without experience limits. The rest must have two or fewer accrued seasons. Clubs with an International Player Pathway participant may add a 17th. Practice squad players can join any team's 53-man roster at any time.
If released, vested veterans -- players with at least four years of experience -- immediately become unrestricted free agents. Some clubs will release a vested veteran with the intent to re-sign him after cuts go through to avoid putting a younger player on waivers who might be snagged.
Players with fewer than four years of experience are subject to waivers, in which teams can make claims. Players are awarded to clubs based on last year's draft order -- the Tennessee Titans getting the No. 1 claim spot. A claimed player must be placed on the 53-man roster and paid for a minimum of three weeks. After the waiver period closes, all non-claimed players are free agents.
What do teams do with injured players?
While the season is over for most players placed on injured reserve prior to cut-down day, clubs can place a maximum of two players on IR before final cuts and still allow them to return during the season. They must miss at least four games before they're eligible to return. After the initial 53-man roster is established, teams can place more players on injured reserve. Up to eight players can be designated to return from IR during the season.
Players on the reserve/physically unable to perform list do not count against the 53-man roster, but miss the team's first four games. The non-football injury or illness list (NFI) is similar to the PUP list, but it is used for players who have suffered injuries or ailments outside of NFL activities. Players on NFI must also miss at least the first four weeks.
