Commanders Roster Cuts Tracker 2024: All the moves Washington has made to get to 53 players
The Washington Commanders got their first preseason win in the last matchup against the New England Patriots thanks to some solid performances from its depth players. Now that the preseason is wrapped, final cuts are next. The Commanders will have to make some important decisions, quick, as they played Sunday night. Instead of a team like […]
The Washington Commanders got their first preseason win in the last matchup against the New England Patriots thanks to some solid performances from its depth players.
Now that the preseason is wrapped, final cuts are next. The Commanders will have to make some important decisions, quick, as they played Sunday night. Instead of a team like the Cincinnati Bengals, who played Thursday night and had a few extra days to think things over.
Regardless, there will be a lot of moving parts/news updates over the next couple of days and you can keep up with all the action, here.
Below you'll find everything you need to know about roster cuts ahead of the 2024 NFL season.
2024 NFL roster cut designations and how they work
For 2024, the NFL has reverted back to one giant day of cuts, compared to the gradual roster cuts throughout the preseason. In other words: Rosters must be reduced to 53 players virtually all at once, but expect them to trickle in over the next few days before Tuesday's deadline. The team has several different transactions they can use to make that happen. Here are the terms you need to familiarize yourself with:
- Released: When a vested veteran (those who have at least four accrued seasons in the NFL) is cut from a team. These players are not required to pass through waivers and can immediately become unrestricted free agents. Sometimes that means they'll sign with another team. Other times, teams can release these veterans and re-sign them after they've placed other players on injured reserve.
- Waived: Players who have not accrued four seasons in the NFL are waived instead of being released. The 31 other NFL teams will have a chance to claim waived players on their 53-man roster by 12 p.m. ET on August 28. If players are not claimed on waivers, they become unrestricted free agents. Waiver priority this time of year is determined by team records from the previous season. The team with the worst record will get the top waiver priority, in this case, the Carolina Panthers. The Commanders are currently second in waiver priority.
- Waived/injured: If these players clear waivers they will revert to the Commanders’ injured reserve list. They can opt to spend the season with Washington on IR or reach an injury settlement with the team, which will pay them for the number of weeks they'll miss with injury and make them an unrestricted free agent. Players who opt for the latter route can rejoin the team later in the season after they're healthy.
- Injured reserve: Up until this year, a player had to make the initial 53-man roster to be placed on IR and be eligible to return later in the season. Now, up to two players can be placed on IR on the day of final cuts (Tuesday) and be designated to return. Teams still have the option to carry injured players on the 53-man roster and some good reasons to do so. First, if a player is placed on IR, he is forced to miss at least four games. Second, if a player makes the initial 53 and is placed on IR on the following day, there are eight designations to return from IR—and another two for playoff teams. The Commanders placed linebacker Keandre Jones and safety Ben Nikkel on IR, already, so they are done for the year since they were placed on IR before the cutdown deadline.
- Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list: Players on the Active/PUP list can be placed on the Reserve/PUP list in a move to get the roster down to 53 players. Players who are moved to the Reserve/PUP list do not count against the 53-man roster. They can attend team meetings, and use team facilities for rehab, but are not allowed to practice or play for four weeks. After four weeks, another 21-day window opens up, where the player can practice and be activated. If they’re not activated in those 21 days, they must be placed on injured reserve for the rest of the season.
- Reserve/Non-football injury/illness (NFI) lists: Players placed on either Reserve/NFI lists have to go through the same process as players on the Reserve/PUP list. They do not count toward the 53-man roster. They can go to team meetings and use facilities for rehab, but they’re not allowed to participate in practice for four weeks. After that, a four-week period opens where they can return to practice and the team can choose to activate the player. If the player isn’t activated at the end of the second four-week period, they’ll remain on injured reserve for the rest of the season. The big difference between the NFI and PUP lists is that teams can withhold a portion of a player’s salary if they’re placed on the NFI lists.
- Reserve/Suspended list: Players who are placed on the Reserve/Suspended list have to serve out an NFL suspension. Players on this list do not count toward 53-man roster limits and are not paid their base salary.
- Reserve/Did Not Report list: Players who are placed on the Reserve/Did Not Report list have left their team.
- Reserve/Retired list: Players who are placed on this list have retired from the NFL.
Commanders' key position battles
Well, when you're overhauling a roster like the Commanders are, you're bound to have a bunch of key position battles. That's exactly where we are after the preseason.
One of the biggest questions is who steps up behind Terry McLaurin now that Jahan Dotson is out of the picture? There is a major opportunity for all of those guys to not only replace Dotson, but establish themselves elsewhere in the receiver room. The tackle position remains an area of a somewhat-mystery when it comes to what Brandon Coleman can do once he's healthy and the defensive tackle/end depth is a key battle, as well.
And then, you have the cornerback group, which is arguably the biggest battle of all. The corners have been inconsistent, to say the least, throughout the summer, so it remains to be seen what happens, from top-down.
Commanders roster bubble players
Please note single asterisk (*) denotes rookies and double asterisks (**) denote rookie undrafted free agents:
- CB Tariq Castro-Fields
- CB James Pierre
- CB Kyu Blu Kelly
- CB Nick Whiteside II
- CB A.J. Woods**
- DE K.J. Henry
- DE Andre Jones Jr.
- DE Jalen Harris
- DE Justin Hollins
- DT Benning Potoa'e
- DT Norell Pollard**
- DT Taylor Stallworth
- DT Haggai Ndubuisi (IPP)
- LB Mykal Walker
- LB Chapelle Russell
- OL Cameron Tom
- OL Ricky Stromberg
- OL Trent Scott
- OL David Nwaogwugwu**
- OL Julian Good-Jones
- OL Braeden Daniels
- OL Armani Taylor-Prioleau
- QB Jeff Driskel
- QB Trace McSorley
- QB Sam Hartman**
- RB Chris Rodriguez Jr.
- RB Austin Jones**
- RB Michael Wiley**
- S Darrick Forrest
- S Percy Butler
- S Kendell Brooks
- S Sheldrick Redwine
- TE Cole Turner
- TE Colson Yankoff**
- WR Brycen Tremayne
- WR Kazmeir Allen
- WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint**
- WR Mitchell Tinsley
- WR Davion Davis
- WR Byron Pringle
- WR Martavis Bryant
NFL practice squad rules
After the claiming period has ended at 12 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Aug. 28, teams are permitted to assemble their 16-man practice squads. A team can have 17 players on the squad if one of them is an International Pathway Player. Here are the rules on who can be signed to the practice squad.
- Players who do not have an accrued season (I.E. rookies).
- Players who were on the active roster for fewer than nine regular-season games during their only accrued season(s).
- Up to four players per team with no more than two accrued seasons.
- Up to six players per team with no accrued season limitations (I.E. vested veterans).
Commanders' 2024 roster cuts
- Per Washington Post's Nicki Jhabvala, the Commanders released Nick Whiteside II.
- Per The Athletic's Ben Standig, the Commanders waived CB A.J. Woods.
- Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Commanders released center Cameron Tom.
- Per Washington Post's Nicki Jhabvala, the Commanders released wide receiver Martavis Bryant.
- Per ESPN's John Keim, the Commanders released wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley.
- Per The Athletic's Ben Standig, receiver/returner Davion Davis has been waived and guard Julian Peoples-Jones has been released.
- Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Commanders waived quarterback Sam Hartman.
- Per ESPN's John Keim, the Commanders released cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields.
- Per Josina Anderson, the Commanders released cornerback James Pierre.
- Per NFL Network's Tom Pelisserio, the Commanders waived defensive end K.J. Henry and offensive lineman David Nwaogwugwu.
- Per ESPN's John Keim, the Commanders waived defensive end Andre Jones and cornerback Chigozie Anusiem.
- Per The Athletic's Ben Standig, running backs Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Micheal Wiley have been waived and so has rookie UDFA WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint.
- Per Washington Post's Sam Fortier, wide receiver Brycen Tremayne was waived.
- Per The Draft Network's Justin Melo, the Commanders waived running back Austin Jones.
- Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, center Ricky Stromberg was waived with an injury designation.
- Per Monsportsnet's Mitchell Tischler, the Commanders waived quarterback Trace McSorely.
- Per ESPN's John Keim, wide receiver Kaz Allen and tight end Cole Turner were cut.
- The team released the rest of its cuts via its website, but below is a picture of them in their entirety:
