Overview
- League sources informed teams on Thursday that final 53-man rosters must be submitted by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 30 and that waiver claims are due by 1 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 31.
- The NFL tied the timing shift to the Rams‑49ers Week 1 opener in Melbourne, which requires extra travel time and risks the teams leaving before the traditional Tuesday cutdown.
- Many clubs will face a shorter evaluation window after their final preseason games, with some teams that play Saturday finales having less than 24 hours to make cuts and injury designations.
- The change alters only the calendar; roster rules remain the same with teams carrying up to 90 players in camp and making a single cutdown to 53 as used since 2023.
- The earlier waiver deadline aims to let teams assemble practice squads and integrate claimed players ahead of Week 1, which now begins Sept. 9 with an earlier-season schedule.