Tuesday, August 27 marked one of the least desirable days on the NFL calendar, where nearly 1,000 players are informed that their time with their current team is coming to a close.
Roster cuts in the NFL is one of the most brutal parts of the business, as each year teams trim their current setup down to 53 players—a major reduction from the 90 players who participated in training camp.
As is the case each year, there were some notable players who found themselves on the outside looking in of the roster crunch. Of course, those players will be free to latch on with another team, if there's interest, or sign back to the practice squad in order to remain involved in the organization.
Still, Tuesday's roster cuts saw some surprises around the league, with intriguing players getting released in order for teams to get their roster down to the mandated size. We'll take a look at some of the most significant moves.
10 Most Notable Roster Cuts Ahead of 2024 NFL SeasonKadarius Toney, Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs officially put an end to their Kadarius Toney experiment on Tuesday, informing the wide receiver that he would not be making the 53-man roster. Toney's time with the Chiefs was tumultuous, with some incredible highs–including his touchdown catch and 65-yard punt return in the Super Bowl LVII–as well as some major lows in the form of drops and costly penalties.
In all, Toney played 20 games for Kansas City, recording 41 receptions for 340 yards and three touchdowns. The former New York Giants first-round pick could find his way back to the practice squad, though there may be other suitors ready to take a chance on him.
Noah Brown, Houston Texans
The Houston Texans parted ways with Noah Brown after one season, during which he caught 33 passes for 567 yards and two touchdowns in just 10 games. Brown had a solid season in Houston, but ultimately the wide receivers room became too crowded to afford him a spot on the 53-man roster. With Stefon Diggs in town, Nico Collins breaking out, and Tank Dell returning from injury, Brown found himself as the odd man out in the Texans' wide receivers room.
Allen Robinson, New York Giants
A few years ago, Allen Robinson was one of the best wide receivers in football. Since 2021, however, his production has tapered off significantly. Robinson has been with three different teams since '21, and the Giants figured to be his fourth if he made the roster. He's not topped 450 yards in any of the last three seasons, and despite a general lack of experience and talent in New York's wide receivers room, the team felt they were better off with other options at the position.
D'Onta Foreman, Cleveland Browns
Despite Nick Chubb not starting the season on the roster due to the season-ending knee injury he sustained in 2023, the Cleveland Browns opted to cut ties with D'Onta Foreman. Foreman had been expected to play a role in the offense amid Chubb's absence, but Cleveland ultimately decided to roll the dice with the other running backs on the roster, including Jerome Ford, Pierre Strong Jr., and Nyheim Hines.
Tim Patrick, Denver Broncos
Tim Patrick was a fan favorite in Denver, but the team made the tough decision to part ways with the veteran wide receiver on Tuesday. Injuries have kept Patrick off the field since 2021, as an ACL cost him the 2022 season and an Achilles injury sidelined him in 2023. When healthy he's been extremely productive, but ultimately the team chose to move on after selecting a pair of wide receivers (Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele) in this year's draft.
Lewis Cine, Minnesota Vikings
A former first round pick in 2022, Lewis Cine saw his time with the Minnesota Vikings come to an early end on Tuesday, falling victim to the league-wide roster cuts. Since being selected with the No. 32 pick out of Georgia, Cine has only featured in 10 games throughout his first two seasons. The defensive back had been used in a reserve role and ultimately failed to force his way into the starting lineup. He'll hope to latch on elsewhere after the Vikings pulled the plug on him rather swiftly.
Desmond Ridder, Arizona Cardinals
Desmond Ridder started 13 games for the Atlanta Falcons last season. Now, he finds himself on the wrong side of leaguewide roster cuts after failing to latch on with the Arizona Cardinals during the preseason. Ridder had been competing with Clayton Tune for the backup role behind Kyler Murray, but the team ultimately felt Tune—who was in Arizona last season—was a better fit for their future plans.
Bailey Zappe, New England Patriots
Bailey Zappe was forcing the New England Patriots' hand as recently as last season when it came to competing for the starting quarterback role with Mac Jones. Now that Drake Maye has entered the fray and Jacoby Brissett is back with the Patriots, the team felt it was prudent to move on from Zappe. With teams no longer able to carry an emergency quarterback without using a roster spot, New England felt it was best to cut ties with Zappe, who would've been the team's third-stringer in 2024.
Samson Nacua, New Orleans Saints
The older brother of Puka Nacua, Samson impressed as a returner during the preseason, but it ultimately wasn't enough to convince the New Orleans Saints to use a roster spot on him. Nacua's 106-yard return on a missed field goal was one of the highlights of the preseason, but ultimately the Saints felt more confident in their current crop of wide receivers.
Frank Gore Jr., Buffalo Bills
The son of legendary running back Frank Gore was one of the biggest standouts of the NFL preseason, but that wasn't enough to secure a roster spot with the Buffalo Bills. The practice squad seems a likely outcome for the rookie out of Southern Miss, lest he latches on with another team looking to add some depth at running back.
