The math is brutal. Thirty-two clubs, thirty-seven cuts apiece, and roughly 1,184 NFL players will lose their jobs before Sunday afternoon.

The pain arrives earlier than usual this year. The league moved cutdown day forward by 46 hours, from the traditional Tuesday before Labor Day to 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 30. That places the deadline the day after the final preseason weekend, giving coaching staffs almost no cooling-off time between the last snap and the last phone call.

Beckham, Dalton and the veteran squeeze

The projected cut lists read like a graveyard of familiar names. Bleacher Report has wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on the New York Giants’ bubble, noting that a Giants receiver would probably need to be moved before Beckham, 33, squeezes onto the 53.

Also on that shortlist is Philadelphia Eagles veteran quarterback Andy Dalton, along with Cowboys backup Sam Howell, Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Christian Kirk and Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson.

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Salary is doing the work in some cases. Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Kristian Fulton, carrying a reported $13 million cap hit, is one of several established starters whose price tag now outweighs the club’s remaining need at his position. Buffalo Bills veterans Michael Danna, Mecole Hardman and Geno Stone are on the same kind of watchlist.

Cleveland moves first

Some teams have not waited for Sunday. Cleveland released wide receiver Cedric Tillman on Wednesday after the Browns prioritized younger pass-catchers KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston and Isaiah Bond. A 2023 third-round pick, Tillman appeared in 38 games with 19 starts for the Browns and leaves with 71 career catches for 833 yards and five touchdowns.

Miami and Houston are among the other clubs that have front-loaded their cuts, and further waves are expected Friday and Saturday as staffs try to shape their waiver order.

Waivers and the practice squad

The initial 53 is only a starting point. Players with fewer than four accrued seasons hit the waiver wire and stay under their existing contracts if claimed; those with four or more accrued seasons are released and become immediate free agents.

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Waiver claims are due by 1 p.m. ET on Monday, August 31, after which clubs can start building their practice squads. Each team may carry up to 16 practice-squad players, or 17 if one is an International Pathway Program participant.

Week 1 kicks off on Wednesday, September 9, when the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots at Lumen Field.

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