The NFL required all 32 teams to set initial 53-man rosters by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, and that made for a busy pre-deadline window of trades and transactions.
Which cuts surprised The Athletic’s NFL writers the most? You can find one for all 32 teams below.
Arizona Cardinals: Simi Fehoko, WR
Signed to a one-year deal in March, Fehoko wasn’t expected to come in and play a major role — he had 10 catches in four NFL seasons — but he looked like he could add depth and help on special teams. And he showed as much during the preseason, which makes this a surprise. A 2021 fifth-round Cowboys draft pick, Fehoko caught two touchdown passes, one each against Denver and Las Vegas. Coach Jonathan Gannon praised his effort and ability to play all three receiver positions. It wasn’t enough. The Cardinals are thin at receiver, so it will be interesting to see what they do. Fehoko will get another chance elsewhere or on Arizona’s practice squad. — Doug Haller
Atlanta Falcons: Morgan Fox, DT
When Atlanta signed Fox, an eight-year veteran, to a two-year contract worth a possible $8.5 million in the offseason, it seemed a sure sign he would be a depth piece on its defensive interior, especially since he got $3 million guaranteed. Instead, the Falcons cut Fox, who had 15 1/2 sacks for the Chargers in the last three seasons, over the weekend and ended up keeping only five interior defensive linemen on their initial 53-man roster. He wasn’t the only veteran free agent who didn’t make the cut. Safety Jordan Fuller, a five-year veteran who signed a one-year deal in the offseason, was also released Tuesday. — Josh Kendall
Baltimore Ravens: Jalyn Armour-Davis, CB
The 2022 fourth-round pick out of Alabama has battled injuries throughout his young career, but he stayed mostly healthy this summer and played well in practices and games. He had an interception Saturday against Washington and allowed just four completions for 31 yards on 10 targets in the preseason. Undrafted rookie cornerback Keyon Martin emerged to win a spot, and he ultimately cost Armour-Davis his place on the 53-man roster. Still, the Ravens’ long-standing credo is, “You can never have enough corners.” Surprisingly, they didn’t find a spot for Armour-Davis. — Jeff Zrebiec
Buffalo Bills: Dane Jackson, CB
Releasing Jackson was a slight surprise, especially amid injuries to rookie Maxwell Hairston and veteran Tre’Davious White. The Bills lack an experienced and healthy player on their 53-man roster to start opposite top cornerback Christian Benford. The rest of the group consists of only Ja’Marcus Ingram and sixth-round rookie Dorian Strong. Jackson spent his first four seasons with the Bills, starting 28 games. He left as a free agent in 2024, only to re-sign with the Bills this offseason. Although Jackson struggled at times this summer, the Bills may try to bring him back to their practice squad. — Joe Buscaglia
Carolina Panthers: Hunter Renfrow, WR
Renfrow’s comeback attempt from a serious gastrointestinal disorder was one of the best storylines at Panthers camp, and prompted a training camp visit from Dabo Swinney, Renfrow’s coach at Clemson. But Renfrow missed a week with a hamstring injury, then managed only four catches for 12 yards in two preseason games. Ultimately, Renfrow’s limited special teams value was the difference between him and David Moore, who snagged the seventh WR spot. Renfrow’s comeback story isn’t necessarily over: The Panthers are interested in signing him to the practice squad if he doesn’t have any active roster offers. — Joseph Person
Chicago Bears: Tyler Scott, WR
Scott was consistently working with the reserve receivers and returners during training camp and the preseason, but he seemed in line to be the sixth receiver — if the Bears kept six. They did but went with undrafted rookie Jahdae Walker, who flashed with eight receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns, including a highlight-reel catch in the Bears’ comeback win in the preseason finale. Scott had only one catch last year, but as a fourth-round pick, it’s the closest to a “surprise” the Bears had. — Kevin Fishbain
Cincinnati Bengals: Jaxson Kirkland, OL
This surprise isn’t directly about Kirkland, but rather the Bengals keeping only eight offensive linemen (while holding 11 defensive linemen). This was an indictment on all of the young players they hoped would rise up and compete for jobs — both starting and backup. None really did. Kirkland was chief among them, having made the team last year before a pectoral injury, but he didn’t play as well in training camp. The same can be said for Devin Cochran, who saw time as a starter at left tackle last year because of injuries to starters. — Paul Dehner Jr.
Cleveland Browns: Sam Kamara, DT
Kamara’s exit is mildly surprising because the Browns are just getting defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. back from a knee injury. Hall was activated on Tuesday, but it’s unclear when he’ll return. Kamara could come back via the practice squad or a later wave of free agency if Cleveland experiences a shortage in its defensive tackle group. — Zac Jackson
Dallas Cowboys: Traeshon Holden, WR
Holden was one of the Cowboys’ most consistent wide receivers throughout training camp and the preseason. CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin and Jonathan Mingo basically entered camp as the wide receivers likely to make the 53. But with Mingo’s recent knee injury, a spot opened up. Ryan Flournoy was a better fit than Holden because of what he brings on special teams. Almost every year there is a surprise Cowboys wide receiver who gains attention in training camp. Holden was that player this year. And he’s probably the best of any of those players over the last 15 years. But it wasn’t enough to make Dallas’ initial 53. — Jon Machota
Denver Broncos: Audric Estimé, RB
This may not have been a shock by the time cuts arrived, but it’s still somewhat surprising when zooming out and looking at the bigger picture. Estimé was a fifth-round pick of the Broncos in 2024 and appeared to be gaining traction midway through his rookie year, highlighted by a strong showing in a close-fought divisional game at Kansas City. Estimé is a big, bruising back who is still a few weeks away from his 22nd birthday. It feels like a quick pull of the cord from the Broncos, but when Denver drafted RJ Harvey in the second round of April’s draft and then signed veteran J.K. Dobbins late in free agency, Denver’s running back room crowded quickly — and its biggest back was ultimately squeezed out. — Nick Kosmider
Detroit Lions: Ahmed Hassanein, edge
The Lions waived Hassanein, the rookie sixth-round edge, with an injury settlement. Hassanein looked excellent in practice this summer, displaying the motor and high energy that got him drafted. Unfortunately, he’s out for an extended period with a pectoral injury. The Lions could’ve given Hassanein an IR to return designation — a new wrinkle for cutdown day — but he would still count as one of eight total IR to return designations teams can assign. Given the injuries the Lions faced a year ago, using a designation on a player Campbell wasn’t certain would return this season could prove costly. Hence the settlement. Hassanein, if he clears waivers, will be free to sign with any team when the settlement period ends. He could very easily find his way back to Detroit. — Colton Pouncy
Green Bay Packers: Kalen King, CB
This year’s cutdown day was relatively unremarkable in Green Bay. King was the most surprising cut and he would’ve only been the No. 3 nickel cornerback behind Javon Bullard and Nate Hobbs (slated to start outside) if he made the team. But King had a solid camp and finished strong with a fumble recovery and tackle for loss in Saturday’s preseason finale. The Packers hope to bring him back on the practice squad, but he’ll have to clear waivers first. — Matt Schneidman
Houston Texans: Trent Brown, OT
The Texans signed Brown in free agency with the idea that he could start at right tackle once fully recovered from the torn patellar tendon that cost him all but three games in 2024. Instead, they deemed the 2019 Pro Bowl lineman expendable this week. The 6-foot-8, 380-pound Brown had spent training camp on the PUP list, but reportedly is now healthy. He didn’t see any preseason action and the Texans appear set to go with rookie Aireontae Ersery at left tackle and veteran Tytus Howard at right tackle. — Mike Jones
Indianapolis Colts: JuJu Brents, RB
The Colts waived Brents, their 2023 second-round pick, bringing the Indianapolis native’s stint with his hometown team to an unceremonious end. The hope was for Brents to blossom into a lockdown corner thanks to his 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame, but he played just 11 games over his first two NFL seasons due to various injuries. Last year, Brents tore his MCL and meniscus in the season opener and didn’t return until the season finale. The 25-year-old will now look to jump-start his career elsewhere, though teams will likely be wary of his lengthy injury history. — James Boyd
Jacksonville Jaguars: John Wolford, QB
There weren’t any household names among the cuts, so let’s focus on Wolford, a really smart quarterback who is held in high regard by Liam Coen and others from the Sean McVay tree. Trevor Lawrence will start and Nick Mullens locked up the backup spot, so again, there’s little need to make a big deal over a potential third-stringer. If rookie quarterback Seth Henigan doesn’t clear waivers and the Jaguars don’t find an upgrade with longer-term potential, they could still add Wolford to the practice squad. — Jeff Howe
Kansas City Chiefs: Mike Edwards, S
Edwards, a seventh-year safety, has a lot of supporters in the Chiefs’ offices. That includes defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo — he has shared his admiration for Edwards’ ball-hawking abilities — and also senior defensive assistant Matt House, who was Edwards’ defensive coordinator at the University of Kentucky. Knowing all that, it was surprising the Chiefs cut the 29-year-old Edwards. That doesn’t mean Edwards won’t eventually be back on Kansas City’s practice squad, but the move still seems to signal the Chiefs have confidence in some younger players at safety, including cornerback/safety hybrids Chamarri Conner and Chris Roland-Wallace. — Jesse Newell
Las Vegas Raiders: Laki Tasi, OL
Tasi signed with the Raiders through the International Player Pathway program this offseason. He grew up playing rugby in Australia and had no prior experience playing football before this year, but the Raiders were intrigued by his unique combination of size, length and athleticism. He started off playing defensive line, but they switched him to offensive line in OTAs. He got playing time in the preseason at guard and showed some flashes. Given his potential and the Raiders’ lack of roster depth, it’s interesting that they risked him getting claimed on the waiver wire. If he makes it through, they’ll be allotted a 17th practice squad spot they can use to bring him back. — Tashan Reed
Los Angeles Chargers: Branson Taylor, OL
The interior of the Chargers’ offensive line was one of the team’s biggest weaknesses in 2024. The Chargers signed Mekhi Becton in free agency to start at right guard. That was one step toward fixing the problem. They then waited until the sixth round to draft an offensive lineman in Taylor, who was a tackle at Pittsburgh. It was surprising the Chargers did not invest in this position group earlier, given how the interior had performed last season. But the Chargers believed Taylor could make a successful transition to guard and build out their interior depth. That did not happen. Taylor, even as a draft pick, could not earn a roster spot — quite the indictment of the Chargers’ evaluation considering their lack of reliable depth along the offensive line. — Daniel Popper
Los Angeles Rams: Chris Paul Jr., ILB
Nobody was more excited to join the Rams this offseason via his fifth-round draft selection than Paul, but his training camp was slowed because of a hamstring issue. It was also a position of need for the Rams. Meanwhile, undrafted free agent Shaun Dolac impressed coaches through the preseason and the Rams had already established this year’s starting middle linebacker in Nate Landman, whom they signed in free agency. Because this coaching staff always likes to keep veteran Troy Reeder around for special teams and as emergency depth, Paul became the odd man out. — Jourdan Rodrigue
Miami Dolphins: Mike Hilton, CB
The Hilton cut was more surprising when the team announced it on Monday. Though he hadn’t been in Miami long, the ninth-year pro had been the most established cornerback on the Dolphins’ roster. When news broke on Tuesday that the team was signing veteran Rasul Douglas, it made more sense. Still, the move clearly signals the Dolphins must like what they’ve seen from rookie fifth-round pick Jason Marshall, who appears to be in the lead to take slot snaps. Marshall now looks poised to start alongside 2024 UDFA Storm Duck and Douglas on the outside. That’s an interesting group, to say the least. — Jim Ayello
Minnesota Vikings: Gabriel Murphy, edge
It’s rarely surprising when a team cuts a former undrafted player who was going to be low on the depth chart. But Murphy had a good training camp. He impressed as a pass rusher, especially. The Vikings instead opted for impact special teams player Bo Richter and interesting 2025 undrafted signing Chaz Chambliss. Murphy suffered a serious knee injury last year, and he had another injury scare in camp. He also has limitations with his size and arm length. Minnesota ultimately went with Richter’s special teams production and Chambliss’ versatile upside. — Alec Lewis
New England Patriots: Cole Strange, G
The real surprise for the Pats was the lack of surprises. They kept Kyle Dugger, Anfernee Jennings, Kendrick Bourne, Caedan Wallace and Javon Baker (though there’s no guarantee they’ll still be on the roster by Week 1). But the departure of Strange puts an exclamation point on just how bad their recent draft classes have been. Only one player (punt returner and nickel corner Marcus Jones) remains from their 10-person 2022 draft class. As for Strange, their former first-round pick departs after starting just 29 games over three seasons. — Chad Graff
New Orleans Saints: Jake Haener, QB
First-year coach Kellen Moore finally made his starting quarterback declaration Tuesday, tabbing Spencer Rattler over 2025 second-rounder Tyler Shough. Haener was never getting either spot, despite Moore keeping the Saints’ 2023 fourth-round pick in the conversation during offseason media availability. Haener never looked the part of an NFL quarterback. It seems likely the Saints will add a veteran QB to the position group to work alongside Rattler and Shough. The Falcons waived Easton Stick, who has worked with Moore in the past. He seems like an easy choice to add via waivers. — Larry Holder
New York Giants: Elijah Chatman, DL
For those who followed Giants training camp, Chatman truly was a surprise cut. The defensive lineman played often with the first team this summer and even took some reps on offense as a fullback, which seemed to hint at the Giants’ plans for him. His departure leaves Dexter Lawrence, Roy Robertson-Harris, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, Darius Alexander, D.J. Davidson and Chauncey Golston as the remaining defensive line starters and depth pieces. — Charlotte Carroll
New York Jets: Jamaal Pritchett, WR
The undrafted rookie wide receiver from South Alabama became a fan favorite this offseason — along with a couple of others at the position like Quentin Skinner and Brandon Smith — and there was a feeling he might win the punt-return competition against Xavier Gipson. But ultimately, the Jets opted to go with Gipson, who has actual NFL experience and who this coaching staff ultimately trusts more. Pritchett likely didn’t help himself by muffing a punt in the preseason finale, though he did follow it up with a long return. Pritchett should make his way to the practice squad if he clears waivers, and it’s possible the Jets’ actual punt returner isn’t on the roster yet. Expect GM Darren Mougey to scour the waiver wire at a few positions. — Zack Rosenblatt
Philadelphia Eagles: Patrick Johnson, edge
Anyone surprised by wide receiver Ainias Smith’s or guard Kenyon Green’s release wasn’t watching. On the other hand, Johnson, the team’s 2021 seventh-round pick, was designated the odd man out among the edge rushers instead of Ogbo Okoronkwo. Johnson had his moments in training camp, but his tenure didn’t protect him against the historically more productive Okoronkwo, who offers the Eagles more upside after joining them on July 22. — Brooks Kubena
Pittsburgh Steelers: Chuck Clark, S
GM Omar Khan’s blockbuster trade with the Dolphins added one Pro Bowl talent to the secondary in Jalen Ramsey, but it also removed another in Minkah Fitzpatrick, putting the safety position in question. While offseason addition Juan Thornhill is in line to start Week 1 and Ramsey will play free safety in the base defense, Clark is a veteran with seven years of NFL experience who could have provided depth. As recently as this week, Clark was taking first-team reps alongside starting strong safety DeShon Elliott, as Thornhill recovers from injury. By cutting Clark, the Steelers have only their starting tandem (Thornhill and Elliott), plus core special teamer Miles Killebrew and Ramsey as candidates to play at safety. However, that doesn’t mean we won’t see Clark again. Because he’s a vested veteran, he is not subject to waivers. If the Steelers don’t add a safety from another team, they could stash Clark on the practice squad and elevate him in the event of injury. — Mike DeFabo
San Francisco 49ers: Thomas Morstead, P
While some Niners fans were praying for inconsistent kicker Jake Moody to get cut, they were surprised when they saw the veteran punter on the list. But Morstead took to social media to say he will be back soon after what looks like a contractual procedure. The other big surprise was undrafted rookie defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez, who impressed in the preseason and drew the nickname “Hulk.” Valdez is a likely candidate for the practice squad if he makes it through waivers unclaimed. — Vic Tafur
Seattle Seahawks: Quinton Bohanna and Brandon Pili, DTs
Seattle has a strong interior defensive line led by Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed and 2024 first-round pick Byron Murphy II. Depth was a concern coming into camp, though, especially with Johnathan Hankins missing all of training camp with a back injury (he’s on the reserve/NFI list now). Pili and Bohanna were on the field a lot in training camp and the preseason because of all the veteran rest days for Williams and Reed. Both played well but didn’t make the cut. They may return via the practice squad but, for now, Seattle is light on interior linemen. — Michael-Shawn Dugar
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kyle Trask, QB
When Trask signed a one-year, $2.7 million deal with $1.34 million guaranteed in March, it seemed indisputable that he would be the No. 2 to Baker Mayfield. After all, the Bucs were already invested in him, having spent a second-round pick on him in 2021 and developed him for four-plus years. But Trask had a chance to solidify his standing when Mayfield missed a couple of practices in camp, and his performances were so-so. Then the team was able to sign Teddy Bridgewater, who was given the start in the preseason finale. Trask hasn’t had many opportunities to prove himself, but he didn’t take advantage when a door was open. He competed for the starting job in 2023, but couldn’t beat out Mayfield. In four years, he never started a game and threw only 11 passes. — Dan Pompei
Tennessee Titans: James Proche, WR
It’s not just that Proche was the clear best option as a returner, he also performed consistently well in camp at receiver — better than some of the guys who ended up on the active roster. But he lost out to Bryce Oliver, who will be a core special teams player and also continues to improve as a receiver. Or he lost out to Van Jefferson, a veteran whose place on this team was no sure thing. Four of the six guys who made it were locks: Calvin Ridley, Tyler Lockett and rookie draft picks Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike. Dike is the top remaining choice to return kicks and punts, but if the Titans can get Proche back on the practice squad, that could still end up being his role at some point this season. — Joe Rexrode
Washington Commanders: Clelin Ferrell, DE
Spoiler: This wasn’t that big of a surprise. Ferrell, the No. 4 pick in the 2019 draft, signed with Washington last season and re-upped in March as the team attempted to transform its defensive line. The Commanders needed to boost their pass rush, opening the door for Ferrell to prove he should maintain his spot. But he failed to show enough in camp and preseason to warrant keeping him over returning defensive ends Dorance Armstrong and Javontae Jean-Baptiste, or newcomers Deatrich Wise Jr. and Jacob Martin. — Nicki Jhabvala
(Photo of Hunter Renfrow being tackled by Chuck Clark: Grant Halverson / Getty Images)
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