NFL sets three roster cutdown dates in August ahead of 2021 season

Teams will go from 90 players to 85 to 80 and eventually 53 this summer, with final cuts coming on Aug. 31.

Teams are currently allowed to carry 90 players during OTAs and minicamp, and the NFL is allowing them to keep their rosters at 90 at the start of training camp, too. On Wednesday, owners approved a proposal to let teams carry a 90-man roster at the start of training camp, with three separate cutdown days coming in August.

Teams will have to trim their rosters to 85 players on Aug. 17, then to 80 players on Aug. 24, and finally to 53 players on Aug. 31. The regular season will begin on Thursday, Sept. 9 with the Buccaneers facing the Cowboys, and the Rams will kick off their season on Sunday, Sept. 12 against the Bears.

So the Rams will have almost two weeks between cutting their roster to 53 players and their season opener.

Last year, teams had to trim their rosters to 80 players by Aug. 16, which was the first cutdown day of the offseason. They then had to get down to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Sept. 5.

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