All 32 NFL clubs met Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline to trim preseason rosters from 90 players to the regular-season limit of 53, triggering a league-wide surge of releases, injury designations and late signings ahead of the 2025 opener on Sept. 7. The Miami Dolphins made the day’s most prominent addition, agreeing to a one-year, $3 million deal with veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas to bolster an inexperienced secondary. To comply with the cap, Miami released 2022 draft picks Channing Tindall and Erik Ezukanma and placed kicker Jason Sanders (hip) and offensive lineman Andrew Meyer on injured reserve. In New England, first-year head coach Mike Vrabel moved on from former first-round guard Cole Strange, part of 21 cuts that left the Patriots carrying eight wide receivers and two players on injured reserve. Chicago, Denver and Washington also announced wholesale changes as teams balanced youth, health and salary-cap considerations. The Arizona Cardinals kept rookie defensive tackle Walter Nolen on the physically-unable-to-perform list and the San Francisco 49ers loaded up with 11 defensive linemen, while veteran punter Thomas Morstead was released in a procedural move expected to be reversed once another player is shifted to injured reserve. Clubs may claim waived players until noon ET Wednesday before assembling 17-man practice squads, meaning further roster churn is expected in the final days leading to Week 1.
The NFL required all 32 teams to set initial 53-man rosters by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, making for a busy pre-deadline window of trades and transactions. But which cuts surprised The Athletic’s NFL writers the most? 🔗 https://t.co/OihQB8ZhFk https://t.co/sNrW3O9aug
New England Patriots reveal 53-man roster | Click on the image to read the full story https://t.co/QDdypWE4nU
Dolphins sign veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas https://t.co/hv85HU4Cac