Tag: 2023 NFL preseason

The biggest preseason roster cuts for all 32 NFL teams

Which big name veterans didn’t make the cut? We’ve got the notable releases for all 32 NFL teams.

Across the NFL, uncomfortable meetings are happening. Head coaches and assistants are meeting with fringe roster players. Sometimes the news is good; most of the time, however, it is not.

Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline to submit 53-man rosters will mark the end of the road for rookies and veterans alike. Preseason depth charts must be culled down from 90 players to a dense 53, sending hundreds of players to the waiver wire as franchises try to craft a Super Bowl winner. For some, it means an anxious foray into free agency. For others, it’s the end of their NFL dreams.

This isn’t an exhaustive list of each team’s cuts as they pare their rosters down to 53 men. It’s just a roundup of the most recognizable names — some stars, some starters and some useful depth options — to be shuffled off toward unplanned free agency prior to Week 1. Here are the biggest cuts for all 32 teams, beginning at the top of the alphabet with the Arizona Cardinals. This is a running list, and will be updated as names trickle in ahead of Tuesday’s cutoff.

The most notable veterans released before — and on — the NFL’s 2023 cutdown day

James Robinson, Shane Ray and PJ Walker are among the big names released as NFL rosters shrink to 53 players.

For nearly half the players on NFL preseason rosters, August 29 will be an awful, terrible, very bad no good day.

That’s the deadline for all 32 franchises to trim their lineups from the offseason limit of 90 down to the regular season maximum of 53. For some players, it will mark the end of their NFL careers. Others will be snatched up on waivers — setting off a secondary round of tough cuts — or added to practice squads. Either way, Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline will alter the lives of rookies and veterans across the league.

Many of the players to be called into uncomfortable meetings will be undrafted rookies or low wattage depth options. But others will be recognizable names; former starters and Pro Bowlers hitting either a nadir in their careers or wrapping them up altogether. This won’t be an exhaustive list of the players forced to look for new jobs August 29; instead, it’s a greatest hits recounting of the most notable players to be cast aside as teams sort out what they hope is a championship roster.

So who are the biggest names to be released before the start of the 2023 NFL season?

LOOK: Top photos from Commanders’ preseason win over the Bengals

A look at some of the best images from the Commanders’ final preseason game.

The Washington Commanders finished the 2023 NFL preseason undefeated after Saturday’s 21-19 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Quarterback Jake Fromm completed 13 of 18 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns in his attempt to show Washington coaches he belongs on the 53-man roster as the third quarterback.

Meanwhile, undrafted rookie Mitchell Tinsley had himself a big day against the Bengals with 86 receiving yards, a touchdown and almost another one. Is that enough to convince coaches he belongs on the 53-man roster?

While it was the final preseason game, fans at FedEx Field had fun, even participating in the wave late in the game. Head coach Ron Rivera noticed and enjoyed it.

As we start to focus on Week 1, here are some of the best photos from Washington’s preseason win over the Bengals.

Did Jake Fromm do enough for Commanders?

Did Fromm convince Washington coaches to keep three quarterbacks?

Did Jake Fromm do enough to convince the Commanders to keep three quarterbacks?

Sam Howell, of course, is the starter, and Jacoby Brissett is the backup. Did Fromm on Saturday night accomplish enough that the Commanders offensive coaches will want him on the opening-day roster?

Fromm completed 13 of his 18 passing attempts totaling 144 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Fromm was sacked twice, finishing the game with a passer rating of 132.6.

The former Georgia Bulldog quarterback began the second half for Washington trailing 10-7 and the ball on his own 6-yard line. In nine plays, Fromm drove the Commanders offense 94 yards, and Washington had the lead 14-10.

On the drive, Fromm completed passes of 22, 9, and 9, setting the stage for his 38-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell Tinsley. Only, replay revealed that Tinsley had stepped out of bounds at the one. Fromm then connected with Brycen Tremayne and Washington led Cincinnati 14-10.

In the final quarter, with Washington leading Cincinnati 14-13, Fromm began throwing again. This time he led the Commanders on a 75-yard scoring drive in eight plays.

With Washington at the Cincinnati 7-yard line, Fromm found tight end Brandon Dillon for the touchdown, which put the Commanders up 21-13 with just over ten minutes remaining.

Now the coaching staff must determine what they are going to do. Roster cuts mean each team must trim down to 53 players.

Will the Commanders keep all three quarterbacks (Howell, Brissett and Fromm)? Might they determine they will need another pass rusher, or offensive lineman, thus keeping only Howell and Brissett?

Another option could see the Commanders go ahead and release Fromm and then resign him to the practice squad, so they can keep him in the building and have that third quarterback in the case of another horrendous season where they are forced to play multiple quarterbacks.

Whatever the Commanders choose to do, this is one of the most difficult aspects for the coaching staff.

5 takeaways from the Commanders’ preseason win over the Bengals

Five takeaways from the Commanders’ final preseason win.

The Washington Commanders completed the preseason with an undefeated record after Saturday’s 21-19 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. It was Washington’s first undefeated preseason since 2013, and while it means nothing come Week 1, the positive vibes surrounding the franchise are real.

With the preseason over, the Commanders now turn their attention to Tuesday’s deadline to trim the roster to 53 players. From there, it’s all about Week 1 and the Arizona Cardinals.

Here are five takeaways from the final preseason game.

Social media reactions to Commanders’ preseason finale

Which players impressed Washington fans on Saturday night?

Mercifully, the NFL preseason is over outside of one game on Sunday night. The Washington Commanders put a bow on their preseason with Saturday’s 21-19 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Washington finished the preseason with a 3-0 record and now turns its attention to Week 1 and the Arizona Cardinals.

Jacoby Brissett started the game for the Commanders, playing into the second quarter. He completed 10 of 15 passes for 96 yards, with his final pass going for a 39-yard touchdown to rookie wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley.

Outside of three offensive line starters, the Commanders sat the remainder of their starting players.

Tinsley, along with quarterback Jake Fromm and running back Jaret Patterson, were just some of Washington’s standouts from the final week of the preseason.

How did Twitter — or X — feel about the Commanders’ performance against the Bengals? Here are some of the top reactions from across social media.

7 standouts from the Commanders’ preseason-ending win over the Bengals

Did some of these players do enough to earn a spot on the 53-man roster?

On Saturday, the Washington Commanders concluded the preseason with a 21-19 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. With the win, the Commanders finished the preseason undefeated for the first time since 2013.

Who cares, right? While the preseason may not mean anything to fans, outside of just seeing football again, it does mean a lot to those young players at the bottom of every 90-man roster fighting for their football futures. Or the veteran looking for one last opportunity.

For the final preseason game, the Commanders rested their starters outside of a select few. Washington started its three interior linemen [LG Saahdiq Charles, C Nick Gates and RG Sam Cosmi] for the first drive with backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett and pulled them afterward. This game would be mostly focused on those fighting for roster spots and giving other young players some valuable experience.

So, which players stood out?

We normally do a studs and duds story after every Commanders’ game. However, we chose to do things a bit differently this time around, focusing on some of the players who are impressed.

Here are seven Commanders who were outstanding in the preseason finale.

 

 

Commanders’ fans did the wave at FedEx Field: Ron Rivera noticed

Rivera is enjoying the positive energy surrounding the team from fans.

You can’t escape the new energy surrounding the Washington Commanders since Josh Harris officially purchased the team last month. Players, coaches and alumni have noticed the difference, which was never more evident at the open practices for training camp this summer.

But, the Commanders will still play their games at FedEx Field. Often viewed as the worst NFL stadium and it’s not close, but apparently that energy has crept into Washington’s home stadium.

Late in Saturday’s preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, fans at FedEx Field were doing the wave.

This was one fan’s reaction.

Washington head coach Ron Rivera noticed and he enjoyed it.

“S–t, they did the wave,” Rivera said. “I haven’t seen the wave here….in….you know, this is the first time, so it was really cool. It really was, again, there is some energy, some excitement and hopefully we can feed off that, build off that and it can help us.”

Rivera was then asked if he “pro-wave.”

“Oh yeah, shoot, that was awesome.”

Rivera is excited for Week 1 and the new, positive energy surrounding the franchise.

Commanders defeat Bengals 21-19 in final preseason game

The Commanders go undefeated in the preseason for the first time since 2013.

The Washington Commanders defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 21-19 Saturday in the preseason finale. It’s the first time since 2013 that the Commanders ended the preseason undefeated.

The Bengals began the scoring when quarterback Jake Browning found wide receiver Andrei Iosivas for a first-quarter touchdown. However, Washington quarterback Jacoby Brissett responded, finding rookie wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley for a 39-yard touchdown to tie the game.

Cincinnati kicker Evan McPherson would drill a 58-yard field goal to give his team the lead and that was the score heading into halftime.

In the second half, Washington quarterback Jake Fromm took over, completing 13 of 18 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns. The first of which appeared to be another one to Tinsley, but officials ruled him out near the goal line. No problem says Fromm, who found wide receiver Brycen Tremayne for a touchdown on the next play.

Fromm led another impressive drive in the fourth quarter before connecting with tight end Brandon Dillon for a touchdown. That would give Washington a 21-13 lead and that proved to be enough. The Bengals scored another touchdown in the fourth quarter but the Commanders broke up a two-point conversion that would’ve tied the game.

Cincinnati was driving again late but Washington’s young secondary broke up a fourth-down attempt and the Bengals turned the ball over on downs.

The Commanders rushed for 150 yards, led by rookie Chris Rodriguez Jr. who rushed for yards on seven carries. Jaret Patterson did his part, too, rushing for 49 yards on seven attempts.

Tinsley led the Commanders in receiving with three receptions for 89 yards and the touchdown.

Now, Washington turns its attention to Arizona Cardinals who come to FedEx Field for Week 1 of the regular season in two weeks.

 

WATCH: Mitchell Tinsley making his case for the Commanders’ 53-man roster

Mitchell Tinsley stated his case on Saturday evening.

Four wide receivers are guaranteed to make the Washington Commanders’ 53-man roster. Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel and Dyami Brown are locks for the Commanders.

However, one of the biggest battles of the summer was for those final two wide receiver spots on the roster. Of course, Washington could keep three, but two appears more likely.

As training camp began last month, the Commanders signed veteran Byron Pringle. Pringle, who played for offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy with the Kansas City Chiefs, has looked comfortable all summer. He appears ahead of the field to be Washington’s No. 5 receiver.

As for No. 6, it’s a battle between undrafted rookies Kazmeir Allen and Mitchell Tinsley, Dax Milne and veteran Marcus Kemp. Kemp offers size, experience and special-teams’ prowess. Milne is entering his third season with Washington. The coaches like and trust him, and he can also return punts.

Finally, we have Tinsley and Allen. The undrafted rookies have both had a good summer.

In Washington’s preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, it was Tinsley who made the most of final audition to make the 53-man roster.

First, there was this touchdown reception from Jacoby Brissett.

Then, there was this touchdown reception from Jake Fromm — only the officials ruled him down near the goal line. How? The Commanders would score on the next play.

In case you needed one more Tinsley highlight.

Has Tinsley done enough? Only head coach Ron Rivera and the coaching staff know the answer to that question. From all appearances, yes, he has, but we’ll all find out on Tuesday.