The 2025 NFL preseason ended Saturday. Since then, the league’s teams have been getting their rosters in order ahead of the league’s 53-man roster deadline.
NFL teams are permitted to keep 90 players on their roster during the offseason, and sometimes more thanks to roster exemptions. But before the start of the season, each team must whittle their units to just 53 players.
By when must this limit be in place? And when can teams begin building out their practice squads, which will be largely comprised of players released because of the 53-man roster deadline? Here’s what to know about NFL roster cuts in 2025.
When do NFL teams make cuts?
NFL teams must trim their rosters to 53 men by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 26. That said, not all NFL teams wait until that time to announce their cuts.
Some NFL teams choose to reveal their roster cuts shortly after their final preseason game. Others release players in waves over the days leading up to the roster cut deadline. For example, Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell said his team planned to make a majority of their 2025 cuts Monday, one day ahead of the deadline.
And while the 53-man roster deadline is 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, not every team immediately makes its list of released players available. Every year, one or two teams do not make their cuts public until a couple of hours after the deadline passes.
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When are NFL roster cuts 2025?
Below is the official date and time for the NFL’s 53-man roster deadline in 2025:
Date: Tuesday, Aug. 26
Time: 4 p.m. ET
While not all teams will announce their final cuts publicly by 4 p.m. ET, they will be submitted to the NFL by that time.
When can NFL teams sign practice squad players?
NFL teams can begin to form their 17-man practice squads on Wednesday, Aug. 27 at Noon ET. That’s when the “claiming period for players placed on waivers at the final roster reduction” expires, according to the NFL.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When do NFL teams make cuts? 53-man roster deadline, explained
