When is NFL roster cutdown day? Deadline date, practice squad rules for 2026

As the 2026 NFL preseason winds down, teams are preparing for roster cutdown day—when they must trim their rosters to comply with regular-season limits. The deadline for reaching 53 players is Sunday, Aug. 30, at 6 p.m. ET, after a rule change in 2024 that consolidated cuts into a single date. The regular season begins Sept. 9 with the Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots on NBC and Peacock. Preseason Week 3 ends Saturday, Aug. 29, followed by four games Thursday (Aug. 27), 10 Friday (Aug. 28), and two Saturday before the Aug. 30 deadline. Teams can carry 90 players offseason, but only 53 on the roster (with 48 active on game day) and up to 17 on the practice squad, including one international player.