Pappoe was a fifth-round pick by the Cardinals in 2023. He appeared in 49 games over three seasons for Arizona, primarily as a special-teamer. Pappoe tallied 27 combined tackles and two passes defended last season; he will look for another role as a reserve linebacker or special-teamer in 2026.
Trigg went undrafted in the spring and signed with Dallas as a UDFA. He made some noise in camp but ultimately not enough to crack the 53-man roster. Trigg is a strong candidate to make it back on the team’s practice squad as a developmental tight end.
Henry was a depth backup for the Commanders’ running back room after signing as an undrafted free agent out of UTSA. He had a solid preseason showing but the Commanders had little room on the main roster with Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, and Kaytron Allen ahead on the depth chart. Henry is a candidate to return on the practice squad.
Whittington is a 24-year-old undrafted free agent rookie. He will likely be given the chance to make a practice squad in Houston or elsewhere.
Keegan earned a 65.3 PFF run-blocking grade in one game with the Eagles in 2024. He played just six snaps on offense with the Cowboys last year.
9NEWS’ Mike Klis writes that Joly “clearly” could use a redshirt year, which isn’t exactly great news for his dynasty prospects. We’ll see if another team wants to take a chance on him rather than letting him join Denver’s practice squad. Joly was a fifth-round pick this past year and it’s rare for teams to cut picks this early, but Denver’s roster is loaded.
Slovis needed to unseat QB Gardner Minshew or QB Carson Beck to make the roster. He was unable to do so. He could return to Arizona via the practice squad.
However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports it’s a roster maneuver, and that special teams ace Berrios is expected to re-join the team before Week 1. We will take Schefter at his word.
Johnson, who has bounced around the league since spending his first four pro seasons with the Browns, will likely end up on another roster as a depth piece. Johnson has just 28 rushing attempts over his past three seasons with various teams, including the Patriots in 2025. It looks like Nicholas Singletary and Michael Carter will function as the Titans’ RB3 and RB4, respectively, behind Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears.
New Orleans signed Smyth to a three-year deal last December, so it’s a bit of a surprise to see him cut so soon. One of Tanner Brown or Daniel Carson will serve as the team’s kicker this season. An Irish native, Smyth joined the league as an International Pathway player, meaning the Saints can get a roster exemption for him if they choose to keep him on their practice squad.
Okwuegbunam was once a key part of the Broncos’ tight end rotation in 2021, but has only appeared in one game over the last two years. He caught five passes for 36 yards in a single game for the Raiders last season. Las Vegas now releases the 28-year-old as he looks for a new practice squad home for 2026.
Per Aaron Wilson, the Eagles want Pierce back on the practice squad. We’ll see how that goes. Pierce is a good returner so he does have some special-teams versatility.
ESPN’s Marc Raimondi believes the Falcons will sign Anthony to the practice squad if he goes through waivers unclaimed. The team signed him as an undrafted free agent rookie earlier this year.
The news was first reported by NFL Insider Jordan Schultz. Bell was one of the more well-liked players in the Seahawks’ locker room, according to Schultz. He finished last season in Carolina after the Panthers claimed him off waivers towards the end of the regular season. Bell also contributes to special teams, which could make him a fit on the practice squad.
Sample began his career with the Bengals, spending the last five years in Cincinnati. He initially signed with the 49ers this offseason, then went to the Falcons after the 49ers waived him. Serving as a preseason rotational defensive lineman, the Falcons decide to part ways with Sample heading into final cuts.
The former undrafted free agent was previously on the Giants’ and Seahawks’ rosters as well. He could get a tryout elsewhere.
Jacobs was charged on two misdemeanors last week after initially being arrested in late May on five counts, including one felony. The NFL will now use the Commissioner’s Exempt List as they gather more information about the incident in question, which involved brutality towards a female in the garage of a shared home. Jacobs will still be paid but will be unable to participate in practice while he remains on the exempt list, although players are typically allowed to participate in team meetings. There is no telling how long Jacobs will remain on the exempt list as only the Commissioner holds the authority to remove him, meaning Jacobs could be away from the team until the criminal system is complete or he could be active in Week 1. Jacobs’ initial appearance in court is not scheduled until November, coinciding with Week 11, leaving a wide range of outcomes for fantasy managers to begin the season. Reports from the organization were far from forthcoming in recent weeks, most recently acquiring former Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson in a trade executed Sunday. Reading the tea leaves paints a morbid picture for Jacobs’ availability to start the 2026 regular season in less than two short weeks. MarShawn Lloyd suddenly finds himself atop the backfield depth chart in Green Bay and is a priority waiver addition for leagues that have already drafted, and should be treated as an upside back in the middle rounds of drafts.
White, who had 12 carries over six games for the Raiders in 2025, won’t be on the Saints’ 53-player roster to start the season, leaving Audric Estime and Devin Neal as the team’s third and fourth backfield options, respectively. White could land in another backfield in need of depth in the coming weeks.
The Packers’ tight end room was a tad thin, so the move makes sense. They signed TE Jonnu Smith earlier this week. Redman is a second-year player who went undrafted in 2025.
Carter signed with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent last season, appearing in seven games for Atlanta. He carried the ball nine times for 60 yards and lost a fumble in 2025. With the emergence of Tyler Goodson as a viable depth option in the running back room, the Falcons jettison Carter heading into final cuts.
Cooper is facing felony assault charges in addition to other chargers including domestic violence and harassment. The 28-year-old was slated to be Denver’s starting outside linebacker opposite Nik Bonitto, but now they’ll have to look at depth options while waiting for the commissioner to clear Cooper.
Pole signed with the Chiefs as a UDFA last year. He didn’t make their final roster and spent some time on the Jets’ practice squad before returning to the Chiefs late in the season. Pole went on to make four starts at left tackle late in the year and played reasonably well. His release is a bit of a surprise.
Mafah became the off man out of the backfield rotation behind starter Javonte Williams Sunday, leaving Malik Davis and Jaydon Blue left to fight for primary backup duties. Blue appears to have an established change-of-pace role, making it more likely Davis operates in more of a pure handcuff fashion to begin the season.
Three players landed on what amounts to the “suspended with pay” list on Sunday, but Pelissero reports Nacua isn’t one of them. That does not necessarily mean Nacua is out of the woods for all time with the NFL, but his situation did not rise to the level of Josh Jacobs’ in the eyes of the shield. Now the main Week 1 question mark for Nacua is his groin injury, but it is not expected to keep him out of the Rams’ Australian opener vs. the 49ers.
Pickens is a former third-round pick, appearing in games for the Bears and Chiefs since being drafted in 2023. The 26-year-old signed with the Giants this offseason and took some first-team reps in camp as the team tried several different things to solve their defensive tackle puzzle. Ultimately, the Giants decided Pickens is not a part of the equation for 2026.