August 30 is the toughest day on the 2022 NFL calendar. That’s the day all 32 teams have to slice their rosters down from 80 active players to 53.
As a result, some veterans will see their careers come to an unceremonious end while many undrafted free agents will see theirs snuffed out before they could even begin. The league’s pool of available players will overflow, and while some of these talents will find new homes and have the chance to rebuild their careers, others will languish on practice squads or possibly have to turn their attention to jobs that don’t involve smashing into other men on a regular basis.
Hundreds of players will hit the free agency marketplace as September approaches to fill our Sundays with football once more. Here’s a list of some of the most notable players to be served their walking papers in the lead-up to — and on — cut-down day.