The NFL cut deadline has come and gone, and 53-man rosters are set- for now. While not every team made a shocking cut decision, all 32 clubs made at least one move to raise eyebrows.
Here are the most surprising and notable cut decisions made by each team. Note that players traded near the cut deadline are included, as those moves are usually made when someone is about to get released. Still, another team wants to immediately add them to their roster instead of risking going through the waiver process.
Arizona Cardinals
Wide Receiver Simi Fehoko
The 2021 fifth-round pick was favored to make Arizona’s roster after an intense training camp and preseason in which he flashed both offensively and on special teams.
Still, Fehoko was left to reveal his release in a TikTok video.
@simifehoko13 Let it all work out!🙏🏼 #nfl #cutday #azcardinals ♬ Over my dead body slowed by Drake – Octive down
Atlanta Falcons
Safety Jordan Fuller
Fuller was expected to provide safety depth to an Atlanta team that has struggled to find a partner for superstar Jesse Bates III, but he failed to make the team. Considering his history of adequate NFL production, he is unlikely to be unemployed for long.
Baltimore Ravens
Cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis
While Armour-Davis suffered a bumpy first three years in the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens’ 2022 fourth-round pick out of the University of Alabama put together an intense training camp and preseason showing. However, with undrafted rookie cornerback Keyon Martin making the team, the Ravens could not find space for him on the roster.
Buffalo Bills
Wide Receiver Laviska Shenault Jr.
Buffalo’s roster cutdown came without any drama or surprises. Still, Shenault’s release is notable as the former Jacksonville Jaguars second-round pick’s career appears to be on the verge of conclusion before it really started, failing to live up to the promise he showed during his time in college.
Carolina Panthers
Wide Receiver Hunter Renfrow
The 2021 Pro Bowler was attempting an NFL return after missing the 2024 season due to ulcerative colitis. But Carolina decided to embrace a youth movement at wide receiver, letting Renfrow go, with Adam Thielen being the only veteran expected to contribute.
Chicago Bears
Running Back Ian Wheeler
With injury uncertainty on the Bears’ running back depth chart, the 26-year-old out of Howard University appeared to be making a case for his inclusion on the 53-man roster. In the end, it was not enough.
Cincinnati Bengals
Center Seth McLaughlin
An undrafted rookie who likely would have been a mid-to-late round pick if not for a torn Achilles, McLaughlin had put together a solid camp for a Bengals squad light on offensive line depth. But in the end, Cincinnati decided to keep only eight linemen.
Cleveland Browns
Quarterback Kenny Pickett
Just days after General Manager Andrew Berry indicated that Cleveland was planning on keeping four quarterbacks, they changed course and traded Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders. Perhaps even more surprising is that a professional football team was still willing to give up a fifth-round pick for Kenny Pickett.
Dallas Cowboys
Running Back Deuce Vaughn
Dallas had no major surprises on cutdown day, but Vaughn’s release is perhaps the most notable. The 5’5” running back out of Kansas State went viral for the emotional video of his father, a Cowboys scout, being told the team was selecting him in the 2023 NFL Draft.
That feeling when the stars align! ⭐️🙌
Check out some of the best day 3 secret audio moments from your newest #DallasCowboys players. 📞👂#CowboysDraft | @ATT pic.twitter.com/VcATQJGigw
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) April 30, 2023
Denver Broncos:
Running Back Audric Estime
A former dynasty fantasy darling, Esitme failed to find his footing in Denver after an injury-riddled rookie campaign. He got lost on the depth chart behind the additions of J.K. Dobbins and R.J. Harvey to the running back room.
Detroit Lions
Offensive Tackle Dan Skipper
While most fans remember Skipper for the ineligible receiver fiasco that robbed Detroit of a win against the Cowboys in 2023, he had been a consistently reliable swing tackle and extra offensive tackle contributing to their heavy short-yardage packages. While he had taken some first-team reps in training camp, it was not enough to make the team.
Green Bay Packers
Linebacker Isaiah Simmons
Isaiah Simmons will go down as one of the bigger disappointments in recent draft history, as Arizona’s eighth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft finds himself again searching for a new team. While Green Bay’s release of the supposed “hybrid defender” who turned out to be unable to play either linebacker or safety is not a shock, it is another chapter in the story of one of the decade’s biggest draft busts.
Houston Texans
Offensive Tackle Trent Brown
The offensive line makeover continues in Houston. While they signed the ten-year veteran to provide depth to a revamped offensive line, he failed to make the 53-man roster, with rookie second-round pick Ariontae Ersery seemingly in line to earn a starting job. The Texans are reportedly hoping to bring Brown back to their practice squad.
Indianapolis Colts
Cornerback JuJu Brents
It is notable anytime a team moves on from a second-round pick after just two seasons. Still, Brents’ release was foreshadowed by the Colts’ additions of cornerbacks Xavien Howard and Mekhi Blackmon over the past week. He missed all of 2024 with a knee and hamstring injuries throughout camp this year.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Safety Daniel Thomas
Thomas had been a special teams mainstay for the Jaguars, but they decided to move on from the sixth-year safety who had spent his entire career in Jacksonville.
Kansas City Chiefs
Safety Mike Edwards
It seemed like Kansas City re-signed the starting safety from their 2023 Super Bowl-winning team this past offseason to provide secondary depth, but they released him before the cut deadline. Edwards dealt with a hamstring injury throughout camp, the same injury that sidelined him during parts of the 2024 season.
Las Vegas Raiders
Linebacker Amari Gainer
Gainer was a special teams regular for Las Vegas in 2024, but was released Monday despite working with primary kick coverage units throughout the preseason.
Los Angeles Chargers
Running Back Ryheim Sanders
The undrafted rookie out of South Carolina, nicknamed “Rocket,” made a strong case for himself as the Chargers’ leading rusher in the preseason. Ultimately, the Chargers activating Najee Harris from the non-football injury list and deciding to stick with second-round running back Kimani Vidal made Sanders the odd man out.
Los Angeles Rams
Linebacker Chris Paul Jr.
Los Angeles’ decision to move on from the rookie fifth-round pick who had worn the green dot in the preseason opener was a mild surprise, but they opted to cut Paul in favor of undrafted rookie Shaun Dolac.
Miami Dolphins
Cornerback Mike Hilton
While Hilton’s best years are certainly behind him, he was a veteran in a Dolphins cornerback room lacking depth after trading Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Dolphins seem to be embracing a youth movement at cornerback, with second-year player Storm Duck and rookie Jason Marshall Jr. projected to be starters.
Minnesota Vikings
Cornerback Mekhi Blackmon
The third-year corner had a strong rookie season in 2023 but tore his ACL last year. But considering the Vikings are already lacking in slot cornerback depth, the decision to trade Blackmon to the Indianapolis Colts for a sixth-round pick was certainly curious.
New England Patriots
Guard Cole Strange
While this may not be as shocking, Strange’s release marks a notable end to one of Bill Belichick’s most infamous draft picks. Cornerback and returner Marcus Jones is now the only member of the Patriots’ 2022 draft class still in New England.
New Orleans Saints
Running Backs Clyde Edwards-Helaire/Cam Akers
The Saints’ running back room was crowded in training camp, but the 2020 first and second-round picks failed to make the roster as sixth-round rookie Devin Neal cemented his spot as a reserve running back. Akers has been unable to rebound from his torn Achilles injury after a promising rookie season with the Rams. At the same time, Edwards-Helaire was a consistent disappointment during his time in Kansas City.
New York Giants
Quarterback Tommy DeVito
While this move was certainly expected for the quarterback, who was consistently fourth on the depth chart throughout training camp, it is the most notable on a day without much drama for the Giants. But while DeVito’s play on the field may not have been much to write home about, the memes will live on forever — as will the three-game winning streak in 2023 that took them out of position to draft Quarterback Jayden Daniels.
New York Jets
Wide Receiver Malachi Corley
The 2024 third-round pick out of Western Kentucky had a disastrous rookie season, and things did not get much better during camp. The new regime in New York, which was not tied to Corley, decided it was not too early to cut bait.
Philadelphia Eagles
Guard Kenyon Green
The Eagles took a chance on the 2022 first-round pick, but Green consistently struggled during his time in Houston. While Offensive Line Coach Jeff Stoutland has rehabilitated the careers of many players with Green’s pedigree, the Eagles decided to give up on the experiment and let him go.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr.
In one of the most shocking moves of cutdown day, the Steelers released the second-year corner who was a bright spot on the defense as an undrafted rookie last year. While Pittsburgh did bring in Jalen Ramsey this offseason, it is still surprising to see them cut bait with Bishop right after his four-interception rookie campaign, in which he was named the Defensive Rookie of the Month for October.
San Francisco 49ers
Running Back Jeff Wilson Jr.
There were no surprise cuts in San Francisco, but Wilson was the casualty of the team’s most notable move when they traded for Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr.
Seattle Seahawks
Marquez Valdes-Scantling
While Seattle brought Valdes-Scantling in on a one-year deal this past offseason, they decided not to keep the journeyman receiver on the 53-man roster. Considering his downfield explosiveness and experience playing with some of the best quarterbacks in the league, don’t be surprised if a team in need of receiver depth signs him at some point during the season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Quarterback Kyle Trask
Tampa Bay drafted Trask in the 2021 second round with the hope of developing him into a future starter. However, he struggled whenever he took the field and lost a training camp battle for the starting job to Baker Mayfield in 2023. With the Buccaneers in win-now mode, they opted for the veteran experience that Teddy Bridgewater will provide as the backup quarterback.
Tennessee Titans
Wide Receiver Xavier Restrepo
There were no real cutdown shockers in Tennessee, with the biggest news being that running back Tyjae Spears Jr. will begin the season on injured reserve. While Restrepo struggled during camp, he was rookie quarterback Cam Ward’s top target in college and the University of Miami’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
Washington Commanders
Wide Receiver Michael Gallup
Washington’s most significant move came last week when it traded Running Back Brian Robinson Jr. to San Francisco for a sixth-round pick, but that had been foreshadowed in the weeks beforehand. While cut day was largely uneventful, it did mark a setback in Gallup’s comeback attempt, as the former 1,000-yard receiver had come out of retirement to try to make the Commanders’ roster.
