NFL Cutdown Weekend: Odell Beckham Jr. Fights for a Roster Spot as 1,100+ Jobs Hang in the Balance
Every NFL team must trim to 53 players by 6 p.m. ET Sunday, and the roster carnage is already underway — with Odell Beckham Jr., Will Levis and Trey Lance all fighting to avoid the chopping block.
The most brutal weekend on the NFL calendar is here. Every team must trim its roster to 53 players by 6 p.m. ET Sunday, a deadline that will cost more than 1,100 players their jobs — some released outright, others stashed on injured reserve or, if they're lucky, headed to a 17-man practice squad.
The preseason's third and final week wrapped up Saturday, giving coaching staffs one last look before the cuts come down. Teams have already been trimming rosters throughout the week, according to tracking from NFL.com, with the waiver claim window closing Monday at 1 p.m. ET.
Beckham's Long-Shot Comeback
Among the storylines to watch: Odell Beckham Jr.'s bid to make the Giants' roster and appear in a regular-season game for the team for the first time since 2018. The three-time Pro Bowler's path cleared slightly after receiver Calvin Austin III went down with a season-ending knee injury, but per Yahoo Sports, it remains an uphill battle for Beckham to stick.
"MORE THAN 1,100 NFL ROSTER SPOTS EVAPORATE OVERNIGHT."
Elsewhere, former first-round pick Will Levis could be pushed out in Tennessee just three years after the Titans made him the top player off the board on Day 2 of the 2023 draft. In Los Angeles, third overall 2021 pick Trey Lance has been outshined by DJ Uiagalelei in the battle to back up Justin Herbert. And in Philadelphia, 2021 second-rounder Elijah Moore may find himself buried on a deep Eagles receiver depth chart.
The cuts have already started trickling in. The Patriots dealt receiver Kayshon Boutte to the Texans this week for safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round pick, a trade that gives Boutte a fresh start after he was phased out of New England's offense by the additions of Romeo Doubs and A.J. Brown. Arizona, meanwhile, waived running back Trey Benson with an injury designation, ending a rough two-year run for the former third-round pick who was drafted as James Conner's eventual successor.
By Sunday night, 32 teams will have finalized their 53-man rosters — and by Monday afternoon, an entirely new scramble for practice-squad jobs will be underway.