NFL teams began finalising their rosters on Tuesday as the league’s 4 p.m. ET deadline approached, forcing each club to trim from 90 players to the regular-season limit of 53. The Cleveland Browns set the tone by releasing wide receiver Diontae Johnson, only four months after signing him to a one-year, $1.17 million contract. Cleveland also cut veteran kicker Dustin Hopkins, further reshaping its specialist group. Quarterback depth shuffled elsewhere. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers plan to waive backup Kyle Trask and 464-pound rookie defensive tackle Desmond Watson, clearing room for newly signed Teddy Bridgewater to back up starter Baker Mayfield. A wave of veteran receivers entered free agency as the Carolina Panthers cut Hunter Renfrow, the Seattle Seahawks let go of Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the Pittsburgh Steelers released Robert Woods and the Washington Commanders moved on from KJ Osborn. Up front, Houston released offensive tackle Trent Brown, while New Orleans parted with 2023 second-round defensive lineman Isaiah Foskey. The San Francisco 49ers deviated from the league-wide purge, opting to keep an unusually heavy contingent of linemen—10 on offense and 11 on defense—while releasing running back Jeff Wilson and temporarily cutting punter Thomas Morstead in a procedural move ahead of potential injured-reserve designations. Players released before the deadline are subject to waivers or can sign elsewhere immediately, and many are expected to resurface on practice squads when transactions resume on Wednesday.