NFL Cut Dates: When Are Preseason Rosters Trimmed?

A look at key NFL preseason dates for 2024.

Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) reacts against the Buffalo Bills in the second half of the 2024 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports / Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 NFL season is rapidly approaching as team have begun to ramp up for training camp in mid-to-late July. The preseason kicks off on August 1 with the Hall of Fame game, and quickly after teams will begin shaping their rosters for the regular season with the scariest event on the NFL schedule: cut dates.

NFL Cut Dates Have Changed

In the past, the NFL had a series of cut dates, where teams had to trim their rosters week-by-week during the preseason. Teams were allowed to have 90 players on their roster, and would make a cascade of cuts as training camp and preseason games passed. Then there was a final cut day at which time each team was allowed to have 53 players on its roster. That has all changed now.

Starting in 2023, the NFL got rid of the series of cut dates and now only has one at the end of the preseason. Teams can still start with 90 players, but are not required to make a series of cuts before the final cutdown day. Now teams are only required to have 53 players at the cutdown deadline, they can can conduct their business how they see fit until then.

When Is the NFL's Final Cutdown Date?

For the 2024 season, NFL teams must have their rosters reduced to a maximum of 53 players on the active/inactive list by 4 p.m. ET on August 27. That is the final mass day of roster shuffling before the regular season begins the week of September 5, with the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football to open the season. The game will feature the last two NFL MVP Award recipients, with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson as the reigning winner and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes the winner from the 2022 season.

DATE	EVENT
July 15	Franchise Player Contract Deadline
July 17-24	Teams Begin Training Camp
August 1	Hall of Fame Game, Houston Texans vs. Chicago Bears
August 8-11	First Preseason Weekend
August 15-18	Second Preseason Weekend
August 22-25	Third Preseason Weekend
August 27	Final Cut Day
September 4	All Contracts Must Fit Within Each Team's Salary Cap
September 5	NFL Opening Night, Baltimore Ravens vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Other Key NFL Preseason Dates

Teams and players on the franchise tag have until July 15 to agree to contract extensions. If that deadline passes, those players must play out the 2024 season on the franchise tender and can't sign an extension until the season is over.

The Houston Texans will be the first team to report to training camp on July 17, while the Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons will be the final teams to enter camp on July 24.

The first preseason game of 2024 is scheduled for August 1, when the Texans and the Chicago Bears will face off at the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. That game should carry some intrigue, as Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. It could be a clash featuring the stars of the future.

By 4 p.m. ET on September 4, all of each team's player contracts must fit until the 2024 salary cap. The next day, September 5, the 2024 season kicks off.