NFL training camp for the 2025 season is right around the corner. As players compete for spots on the 53-man roster, there are always a few surprise cut candidates who appear leading up to the regular season.
Whether it be for financial reasons, scheme fit, a crowded depth chart or just poor play, there are many reasons a team can move on from notable veterans. Here is the shocking cut candidate for all 32 NFL teams going into camp.
Most Notable Cut Candidate on Each NFL Team
Arizona Cardinals: Zay Jones
Zay Jones factored into the Arizona Cardinals’ offense last year, playing over 30 percent of their offensive snaps from Weeks 10-18. He wasn’t heavily targeted, though, as he finished the year with just eight receptions for 84 yards.
Granted, Jones won’t be missing time due to a suspension in 2025. But he doesn’t project as a starter going into the season, and he didn’t play a single special-teams snap in 2024. The Cardinals may want to reserve one of their backup wide receiver spots for somebody who can contribute in the third phase.
Atlanta Falcons: Kirk Cousins
Realistically, a Kirk Cousins trade might be more realistic for the Atlanta Falcons, seeing as though cutting him would actually cost them $10 million this year. In order to release Cousins and keep their salary cap in the black, they’d have to cut or restructure somebody else to free up $6 million.
That said, it’s clear the relationship between Cousins and the Falcons is in a rough spot after he got benched for Michael Penix Jr. last year. He’s more of a trade candidate than a cut candidate, but if it reaches the point where Cousins refuses to suit up for Atlanta, they could have a tough choice to make.
Baltimore Ravens: David Ojabo
It’s been a tough go for David Ojabo. A projected first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, he slipped to Round 2 after tearing his Achilles at his Pro Day. Injuries limited him to just five games through his first two seasons, and he only had two sacks in 2024.
Ojabo faces steep competition for playing time in the Baltimore Ravens’ edge rusher room. Tavius Robinson outperformed him last year, and Adisa Isaac was a third-round pick just last year. Factor in Mike Green, the Ravens’ second-round pick who had 17 sacks in college last year, and Ojabo projects as a likely cut candidate in 2025.
Buffalo Bills: Elijah Moore
Elijah Moore has been a serviceable complementary receiver the last few years. In his last two seasons, he’s combined for 120 catches, 1,178 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He’s now on his third team in five years, though, and he faces steep competition with the Buffalo Bills.
Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer and Keon Coleman all project ahead of him on the Bills’ depth chart. They drafted Kaden Prather in the seventh round, Curtis Samuel is still on the team, and Laviska Shenault has the edge in special-teams experience. Moore should be able to edge one of the latter three out, but it wouldn’t be a total surprise if he ended up cut.
Carolina Panthers: DJ Wonnum
DJ Wonnum only played in eight games in 2024, and his absence played a big role in the Carolina Panthers’ pass rush grading poorly last season. He projects as a starter again in 2025, but the Panthers invested heavily in competition this offseason.
Patrick Jones II joins Carolina’s room of edge rushers as well as Day 2 draft picks Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen. The team would save over $7 million by releasing Wonnum. While they could use all the pass-rushing help they can get, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he’ll end up a surprise cut candidate.
Chicago Bears: Zacch Pickens
It’s been a rough start to Zacch Pickens’ NFL career. Though he was technically a third-round pick in 2023, he was the No. 64 pick due to Miami’s forfeited first-round pick. For a player who would be a second-round selection any other year, he’s only had 1.5 sacks in his two seasons with the Chicago Bears.
The pressure is on Pickens now to shape up or ship out. The Bears signed Grady Jarrett and drafted Shemar Turner this offseason, both whom projecting higher than him on the depth chart. They also still have Gervon Dexter and Andrew Billings in the defensive tackle rotation. Pickens could realistically end up cut before his rookie contract even expires.
Cincinnati Bengals: Zack Moss
The Cincinnati Bengals ran a running back committee to start the 2024 season. Over time, it became clear that Chase Brown was the best back on the roster, and he slowly began to take control of the snaps as the season went on. That resulted in a lessened role for Zack Moss in the run game.
Moss averaged just 3.3 yards per carry last year, which is the lowest of his career. The Bengals signed Samaje Perine in free agency, and they selected Tahj Brooks in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Both of them are to compete in the running back room. If Moss doesn’t bounce back, he could end up a strong cut candidate for Cincinnati.
Cleveland Browns: Kenny Pickett
The range of outcomes is incredibly broad for Kenny Pickett. He could end up becoming the Cleveland Browns’ starting quarterback, or he could end up released altogether.
Pickett has started in 25 NFL games with a 15-10 record as the starter. However, he’s thrown just 15 touchdowns to 14 interceptions and has only averaged 158.8 passing yards per game. Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders both have higher ceilings as rookies. If Pickett can’t beat out Joe Flacco, he could be on his way out of Cleveland entirely.
“I think they’re going to want to get those guys action,” – @PSchrags on the Browns playing Shedeur and Gabriel via @PatMcAfeeShow 👀👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/dUciRRyLF8
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 17, 2025
Dallas Cowboys: Javonte Williams
For what it’s worth, I anticipate Javonte Williams will be the starting running back for the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1. However, that says more about the state of their running back room than it says about Williams in particular.
Williams has averaged less than four yards per carry in each of his last two seasons. The Cowboys have three intriguing young backs on their roster in Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah and Deuce Vaughn. They also signed Miles Sanders this offseason. Williams should be the favorite, but if a couple of other backs get hot, he could be a surprise cut candidate.
Denver Broncos: Jaleel McLaughlin
Who’s going to be the odd man out in the Denver Broncos’ backfield? It won’t be RJ Harvey, seeing as though they just used a second-round pick on him. It probably won’t be JK Dobbins, as he just had 905 yards and nine touchdowns last season. That leaves either Audric Estime or Jaleel McLaughlin as a potential cut candidate.
It’s a good problem to have too many solid backs, but it’s one that could affect McLaughlin in the end. Though he has the speed and receiving advantage over Estime, the latter is three years younger, has more special teams experience and brings more power in between the tackles.
Detroit Lions: Josh Paschal
The Detroit Lions are surely grateful to have Aidan Hutchinson coming back from injury, and Marcus Davenport is the presumed starter alongside him at defensive end. What the rest of that position’s group will look like is anyone’s guess, though.
Josh Paschal was a second-round pick in 2022, but the results haven’t lived up to the hype quite yet. He has five sacks through three seasons and failed to stand out for the Lions last year, despite starting in 10 games. Al-Quadin Muhammad could be competition for a roster spot, but sixth-round rookie Ahmed Hassanein has the potential to overtake Paschal’s role.
Green Bay Packers: Christian Watson
The Green Bay Packers had a crowded wide receiver room to begin with. After selecting both Matthew Golden and Savion Williams in the 2025 NFL Draft, someone’s bound to be the odd man out. That player could end up being Christian Watson.
Watson doesn’t have the special-teams value that Mecole Hardman, Bo Melton, and Malik Heath all have. Both Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks have done a better job of staying healthy, and Jayden Reed and the two rookies are locks to make the team. That could leave Watson as a realistic cut candidate since he is sidelined with a torn ACL.
Houston Texans: Nick Chubb
Injuries have slowed Nick Chubb down over the last two years. After a successful run with the Browns, he now looks to revive his NFL career as the backup running back to Joe Mixon on the Houston Texans. He’s the favorite for their second-string role, but he’s not a lock.
Dameon Pierce is still on the team and provides a younger power back option for Houston’s offense. They drafted Woody Marks out of USC in Round 4 this offseason, and players like JJ Taylor, Dare Ogunbowale and Jawhar Jordan all figure to compete for a spot. If the injuries affect Chubb’s play further, he could be a surprise cut candidate.
Indianapolis Colts: Samson Ebukam
Samson Ebukam had 9.5 sacks as a starter for the Indianapolis Colts in 2023. One torn Achilles later, however, there’s no guarantee he reaches those heights again in 2025.
Since he last played, the Colts have added Laiatu Latu and JT Tuimoloau to their edge rusher rotation. Kwity Paye also figures to be a starter again for them in 2025. A lot rides on whether Ebukam proves he can come back to full strength at 30 years old, coming off a major injury.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Travis Etienne
After two consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons, Travis Etienne’s production fell off in a big way in 2024. He had just 558 rushing yards for two touchdowns and 3.7 yards per carry, finishing with fewer rushing yards than then-rookie Tank Bigsby.
Cutting Etienne wouldn’t eat into the Jaguars’ dead cap at all. Bigsby could take on an even bigger role in 2025, and Jacksonville drafted two talented backs this offseason in Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. If the rookies outshine Etienne in camp, they could look to cut their ties with him altogether before the regular season.
Kansas City Chiefs: Kareem Hunt
When Isiah Pacheco got hurt, the Kansas City Chiefs signed Kareem Hunt off the street and immediately thrust him into a 200-carry season. However, out of the 23 running backs with 200 carries or more, Hunt had the fewest yards per carry at just 3.6.
The Chiefs brought Hunt back, but Pacheco also returns from injury. They signed Elijah Mitchell in free agency, and they took a seventh-round flier on Brashard Smith in the 2025 NFL Draft. Hunt had a massive workload in 2024, but he wasn’t all that efficient with it. He could be a cut candidate if Kansas City thinks their other backs bring more to the table.
Las Vegas Raiders: Raheem Mostert
Just two years after rushing for over 1,000 yards and leading the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns, Raheem Mostert finds himself competing for a backup running back job with the Las Vegas Raiders. He won’t overtake Ashton Jeanty for the starting role, but it’s entirely possible he ends up as the second-string.
That said, it’s not a lock that Mostert makes the team. He’ll have Sincere McCormick, Zamir White and Dylan Laube to compete with for a backup role. McCormick shined in limited playing time last year, and Laube has the special-teams chops to make the team. At 33 years old, Mostert will have to prove he’s still fresh enough to make the 53-man roster.
Los Angeles Chargers: Trey Pipkins III
Trey Pipkins III has started each of the 46 games he’s played for the Los Angeles Chargers in the last three years. After the signing of Mekhi Becton this offseason, Pipkins figures to settle back into a backup role for them in 2025.
His starting experience and tackle-guard versatility should help, but Pipkins also has a hefty price tag for a backup. The Chargers could save over $6.7 million by releasing him. If they’re feeling frisky and want to make a big splash before the regular season, letting Pipkins walk could be a way for them to free up cap space.
Los Angeles Rams: Tyler Higbee
The Los Angeles Rams selected Terrance Ferguson in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he’ll presumably be their tight end of the future. Rookie tight ends historically have a steeper learning curve, so they don’t necessarily have to move on from Tyler Higbee just yet.
Don’t rule it out as a possibility, however. Higbee is 32 now and only played in three games last season due to a torn ACL and MCL. The Rams have solid depth at tight end, as evidenced by Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen on the roster. It’s unlikely, but Higbee could be a shocking cut candidate if Los Angeles feels like there’s better value elsewhere.
Miami Dolphins: Tyreek Hill
For the record, Tyreek Hill makes much more sense as a trade option. Not only would a player of his caliber reel in solid value in a trade, but the Miami Dolphins would save over $20 million more trading him rather than releasing him.
Keeping Hill here doesn’t make him a cut candidate, but rather a “player who could be on the move” candidate. Hill was vocal near the end of last season that he wasn’t happy with the current state of the Dolphins’ organization. If those concerns remain strong, he could try to push himself out like Jalen Ramsey did.
Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill basically said he wanted out of the Dolphins organization after the game. pic.twitter.com/gIiMv7Edaf
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) January 6, 2025
Minnesota Vikings: Rondale Moore
Rondale Moore suffered a season-ending injury in training camp last year, preventing him from ever taking a snap with the Falcons. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings this offseason, giving him an opportunity to work in a talented offense led by Kevin O’Connell.
It seems likely Moore makes the team, but the Vikings would only have $250,000 in dead cap space by releasing him. The likes of Jalen Nailor, Tai Felton and Tim Jones all figure to compete for touches behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Moore should be safe, but there’s always the chance the injury takes some of that explosiveness away.
New England Patriots: Antonio Gibson
After the New England Patriots selected TreVeyon Henderson in Round 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft, Antonio Gibson finds himself demoted to third-string running back on their depth chart. He might not make the 53-man roster at all if the Patriots want to cut costs.
Releasing Gibson would save New England roughly $2.3 million in cap space this year. They signed Travyeon Williams this offseason, and he’s much more experienced on special teams than Gibson is. If the Patriots keep three running backs and a fullback in Brock Lampe, then Gibson could be the odd man out.
New Orleans Saints: Taysom Hill
Taysom Hill has been a versatile chess piece for the New Orleans Saints over the years, as he’s lined up everywhere from quarterback, wide receiver, tight end and running back. However, there’s a chance we may be nearing the end of his time in the Big Easy.
Hill suffered a torn ACL late in the 2024 season, and as someone who turns 35 in August, there’s no guarantee he’ll be able to come back from that. The Saints are set in traditional tight ends with Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau, and releasing Hill would free up $10 million in cap space. He sticks out as their biggest cut candidate going into 2025.
New York Giants: Devin Singletary
The New York Giants started the 2024 season with Devin Singletary as their starting running back. As time went on, then-rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. began to start eating away at his touches. Now, Singletary could find himself off the Giants’ roster entirely in 2025.
Much of that will depend on how Cam Skattebo looks in camp. If New York is confident that he can be their second-string back right away, Singletary would fall down the depth chart. Eric Gray has more special-teams experience and is two years younger than Singletary, which could make the veteran a potential cut candidate.
New York Jets: Jamin Davis
At this stage, the New York Jets aren’t in much of a position to make any shocking cuts leading up to the regular season. They took an intriguing flyer on former first-round pick Jamin Davis, who’s still just 26 years old.
There’s hardly a guarantee Davis makes the Jets’ 53-man roster, though. They have their starting linebackers lined up already, and recent late-round draft picks Francisco Mauigoa and Zaire Barnes sit ahead of him on the depth chart. Undrafted free agent Aaron Smith from Florida A&M could be a name to watch, too.
Philadelphia Eagles: Joshua Uche
The Philadelphia Eagles took a shot on Joshua Uche this offseason. The hope is that he can come close to his 11.5-sack form in 2022 as a rotational pass rusher. While Philadelphia has been a great place for veteran edge rushers to put up big numbers, there’s no guarantee Uche does the same.
Uche had three sacks in 2023 and just two sacks in 2024, splitting time between New England and Kansas City. He faces competition from the likes of Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, Azeez Ojulari and Patrick Johnson for reps at edge rusher. The Eagles will likely keep him on the 53-man roster, but if someone shines in camp, he could become a cut candidate.
Pittsburgh Steelers: DeMarvin Leal
A third-round pick in 2022, DeMarvin Leal hasn’t quite worked out for the Pittsburgh Steelers the way they hoped he would. He’s had just one sack in 28 games, and he missed most of 2024 due to a neck injury.
Leal faces steeper competition at defensive tackle for a roster spot this year. The Steelers drafted Yahya Black in the fifth round this offseason, and they already have Logan Lee and Isaiahh Loudermilk returning from last year. Leal is still just 25, so he’ll likely catch on with another team if cut. There’s no guarantee he makes Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster, though.
San Francisco 49ers: Tre Brown
Whether or not the San Francisco 49ers cut Tre Brown likely depends on what they do with Deommodore Lenoir this season. If they keep him in the slot, Brown will have an open chance to win a starting cornerback job outside.
Things could get sticky if Lenoir kicks outside, though. Fifth-round rookie Upton Stout would likely kick inside as the new starting nickelback, and Brown would find his way to the bench. If he were to get outperformed by another cornerback on the 49ers’ roster, he could be a sneaky cut candidate.
Seattle Seahawks: Noah Fant
The Seattle Seahawks have had massive turnover on offense as is this offseason, as they’re projected to have a new starting quarterback, two new starting receivers, and at least one new offensive lineman compared to last year. That turnover could continue if Noah Fant ends up released.
Granted, the Seahawks will likely keep Fant as the starter for another year while second-round pick Elijah Arroyo develops. But if Seattle is confident in Arroyo and AJ Barner to hold down the fort, they would save nearly $9 million by cutting Fant. It’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jamel Dean
Jamel Dean has started in 63 games of the six seasons he’s played with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s been a solid enough starter, but their haul from the 2025 NFL Draft indicates they may be looking to move on eventually.
The Buccaneers would save roughly $12.8 million by releasing Dean. This would open up a starting opportunity for one of their Day 2 selections, Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish. If the rookies impress Tampa Bay’s coaching staff in training camp and the preseason, Dean could be a surprise player on the roster bubble for them.
VIKINGS FREE AGENT SPOTLIGHT: Jamel Dean
Now, Jamel Dean is NOT (!!) a free agent, but he is a cut candidate for the Buccaneers. Jamel has struggled to stay healthy but in the past couple of years but has remained solid. In 2024, Dean had 5 PBUs an INT, and allowed an 81.5… pic.twitter.com/THc18WkXAn
— 𝙆𝙖𝙨𝙚 (@verysadvikings) March 10, 2025
Tennessee Titans: Treylon Burks
In theory, the idea of trading AJ Brown for a first-round pick and using that pick on a younger, cheaper version of Brown was sound thinking for the Tennessee Titans. The problem is that Burks has had fewer receiving yards in his NFL career than Brown has ever had in even his worst season in the league.
Burks tore his ACL last year, limiting him to only five games. Since then, the Titans have signed Van Jefferson and Tyler Lockett. They drafted both Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike in the fourth round, and they signed one of the best undrafted free agents available in Xavier Restrepo. In a crowded Tennessee receiver room, Burks feels like the odd man out.
Washington Commanders: Austin Ekeler
Austin Ekeler didn’t come close to leading the NFL in scrimmage touchdowns last year like he did in both 2021 and 2022. He did, however, carve out a nice niche for himself in the Washington Commanders’ offense as a receiving back and a second-team All-Pro kick returner.
However, Ekeler turned 30 this offseason, and the Commanders would save over $3.4 million by cutting him. They have young backs like Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Chris Rodriguez in the wings, and players like Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane could push for the returner spot.
