5. Cutdown day hits differently this year
Yes, I can go over kicker Cairo Santos being cut or the wide receivers all finding their way onto the roster. But we’re all human and we’ve all been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in some way, shape or form. Cutdown day is always tough for many players in any other year, but this year hits different. Normally, players have put together a string of preseason games, building a highlight reel to show other teams if/when they were cut or make a case to be moved to the active roster.
For example, would tight end Jesper Horsted have made his touchdown catch against the Detroit Lions last season had he not popped off in the team’s last preseason game? This year, none of the Bears UDFAs were able to play in a game and now will need to find new jobs with little to show on their resume.
It isn’t just about the spot on a team, though. For so many men, even to play in a preseason game fulfills life-long dreams. No matter what happens after the fact, they can always say they made a tackle, caught a pass or ran for a touchdown in an NFL game. That very well may not happen for many players around the league.
We like to make a big deal out of the final cuts and who made the last few roster spots on the team. Truthfully, much of it won’t matter because of the guys who were already locks. They’re the ones who will be lining up every single snap during crunch time over the next few months. For those players who rely on preseason to scratch and claw their way onto a team, however, many weren’t able to show who they were when it mattered most.
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