The 2024 NFL preseason is officially over for the Miami Dolphins, who turned their attention to assembling the 53-man roster and 16-man practice squad. General manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel have some difficult decisions ahead of the 53-man deadline on Tuesday, Aug. 27 at 4:00 p.m. ET.

Released: quarterback Mike White, linebacker Curtis Bolton, long snapper Blake Ferguson, defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, defensive tackle Jonathan Harris, defensive tackle Isaiah Mack, running back Anthony McFarland Jr. and cornerback Nik Needham.

Waived: linebacker David Anenih, wide receiver Je'Quan Burton, safety Jordan Colbert, defensive tackle Robert Cooper, wider receiver Erik Ezukanma, wide receiver Mike Harley Jr., offensive lineman Chasen Hines, running back Zander Horvath, linebacker Dequan Jackson, wide receiver Jadon Janke, cornerback Isaiah Johnson, offensive lineman Matthew Jones, cornerback Jason Maitre, tackle Bayron Matos, wide receiver Kyric McGowan, defensive tackle Leonard Payne, safety Mark Perry and tight end Hayden Rucci.

Waived/injured: running back Chris Brooks, tackle Ryan Hayes and wide receiver Braylon Sanders

PUP/inactive: wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., linebacker Bradley Chubb, linebacker Cameron Goode and offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn

Injured reserve (designated for return): wide receiver River Cracraft and cornerback Cam Smith

Injured reserve (season-ending): linebacker Wyatt Ray

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2024 NFL roster cuts important details:

Unlike it used to happen, now there is only one roster cut deadline. It means the roster must be reduced from 90 (or 91, if you count the International Pathway Program exception) to 53 all at once. For that to happen, the team can utilize several roster tools.

Release: Players with four or more accrued seasons (vested veterans) can be released. If that happens, they immediately become free agents and are available to sign with any team — which includes signing back with their original teams. With the new IR rules (we will talk more about it later), the mechanism to cut vested veterans and sign them back on day 2 will be less prevalent, but it might still be used eventually — because there will be only two designations to return for players placed on IR before the initial 53.

Waiver: When players with fewer than four accrued seasons (non-vested veterans or rookies) are cut, they are not immediately released from their current contracts. They go through a waiver system, in which every other team in the NFL can claim their deals. If two or more teams try to claim the same player, the priority respects the original order of the draft (through week 3 of the regular season). If the player passes through waivers unclaimed, then he becomes a true free agent and is available to sign a new contract with anyone.

Waived/injured: When a non-vested veteran or rookie doesn't pass a physical before being released, he receives a waived/injured designation. He goes through waivers and if no other team claims him, he reverts back to his original team injured reserve. Usually in these cases, when it's not a season-ending injury, the original team later reaches an injury settlement with the player — good for the team, that won't pay the full salary, and for the player, who will be able to sign with another team to play as soon as possible.

Injured reserve: This is where a new rule has been put in place. Until last 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 designated to return after four weeks later. Teams still have the option to carry injured players on the 53-man roster for multiple reasons. 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 other two for playoff teams.

PUP/NFI: If the player didn't pass the physical to start training camp, the team designate him as physically unable to perform (PUP) if it's a football-related injury or NFI-list if it's an injury suffered outside of NFL activities (this includes injuries suffered in college football games, gym, or any other area of life). A player on the NFI-list is not entitled to receive his salary. However, the team and player can negotiate a rate of payment.

Through training camp, players stay on the active PUP/NFI list, so they count towards the 90-man roster limits and can be activated at any point. When the roster is cut from 90 to 53, the team has to activate the player to the roster or to place him on the inactive PUP/NFI. If he's placed on one of these lists, the player has to miss at least four regular season games, but doesn't count towards the roster limit.

Other reserve lists: There are other reserve lists that are more or less frequent and with particular rules. Suspended, retired, did not report, military, Commissioner Exempt List. In each case, the player wouldn't count towards the 53-man roster limit.

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Dolphins listed players:

IR (out for season): LB Cam Brown, C Sean Harlow, LB Grayson Murphy, T Kion Smith, WR Willie Snead, WR Tahj Washington.

Here is the Miami Dolphins’ initial 2024 53-man roster

Miami reached the league-mandated roster limit on Tuesday afternoon