The 2024 NFL preseason is over, which means a lot of dreams are shattered.
The three-game exhibition schedule is a final chance for marginal players to prove they deserve to be on regular-season rosters, but once it’s over, the league will require teams to cut their lineups from the 90-player maximum allowed over the summer to as few as 53 for key games.
That will mean a 32-team trade frenzy that will send undrafted rookies and former Pro Bowl players onto the free market. Some will be claimed on waivers to find new teams. Many more will end up on practice squads. But a significant number of players will have their NFL hopes dashed by a league where they simply can’t find a home.
You can find a complete list of team-by-team cuts for 2024 here , but if you’re looking for a quick rundown of the big names who will receive their release notices without sifting through 1,000+ releases, let’s see if we can help: These are the notable veterans (and rookies) who will be waived before the NFL’s cutting deadline.
1
EDGE Deion Jones, Buffalo Bills
Jones was a six-year starter with the Atlanta Falcons, finishing third in defensive rookie voting in 2016 and being selected to the Pro Bowl in 2017. He was a rotation player with the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers the past two seasons and is headed to the free agent market where he could be in the running for teams in need of linebacker depth this fall.
2
QB Kedon Slovis, Indianapolis Colts
Slovis was once a blue-chip rookie who was considered a potential first-round draft pick, but was never able to recapture the form that made him one of the top freshmen in 2019, and he ended his collegiate career with Pittsburgh and Brigham Young. He went undrafted in 2024 but signed with Indianapolis as a backup to Anthony Richardson. He will likely slide onto the practice squad and have a chance to make an impact on the Colts coaching staff.
3
QB Mike White, Miami Dolphins
White easily navigated the dark wall of Zach Wilson’s quarterback role with the New York Jets in a small sample size, which led him to Miami where he was supposed to be a high-value backup to Tua Tagovailoa, but a healthy Tagovailoa played all 17 games last season and head coach Mike McDaniels opted to use Skylar Thompson as his QB2 beyond 2024.
4
OT Jackson Carman, Cincinnati Bengals
Carman entered the NFL as a controversial second-round pick after being accused of sexual assault during his time at Clemson (he was never charged with any crimes), and he’s played just 16 times over the past two seasons, including just six starts in his most successful season in the league.
5
EDGE Randy Gregory, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Maybe Gregory could have added something to the Buccaneers’ dwindling pass rush. We’ll never know the answer to that, since he never showed up to training camp, was waived, and then retired from football.
6
WR Sterling Shepard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Shepard was reunited with former Oklahoma teammate Baker Mayfield in Tampa, but the 31-year-old failed to make the roster. After appearing in 15 games with the New York Giants last fall and making just 10 catches, the mobile wide receiver may be nearing the end of his eight-year NFL career.
7
WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
Peoples-Jones appeared to be on the verge of a breakout season after rushing for 839 yards in 2022, but he fell out of the Browns’ receiver rotation in 2023 and was traded to Detroit last fall for a sixth-round pick, and he failed to make a lasting impact at Michigan despite the Lions’ need for wide receiver depth.
8
RB Matt Breida and Keshawn Vaughn
Both Breida and Vaughn were trying to re-establish their value in Kyle Shanahan’s offense behind Christian McCaffrey, but neither finished the preseason with a roster spot.
9
WR Russell Gage, Baltimore Ravens
Gage was a productive WR2 with the Atlanta Falcons in the early 2010s, but his move to the Buccaneers saw him become an almost exclusively short-range target and he missed the 2023 season with a torn patellar tendon. He never managed to crack into the Ravens’ thin receiving rotation, but at 28 years old, he could still be productive elsewhere.
10
S Kareem Jackson, Buffalo Bills
The Bills traded veteran authority for veteran authority in the offseason when they traded safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde for Kareem Jackson, who has started 193 games over 14 NFL seasons. At 36, Jackson remains useful in coverage and could be a valuable addition to the team in playoff contention later this fall.
11
K Anders Karlsson, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay selected Carlson in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft to replace longtime kicker Mason Crosby. He was a perfect 20-of-20 on field goal attempts within 40 yards, but only made 50% (7-of-14) from deeper. Greg Joseph is likely to start the season as the Packers’ primary kicker.
12
CB CJ Henderson, Houston Texans
Henderson was a top-10 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft but lasted just 10 games in his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He had a dismal season at Florida and was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2021, where he also had a dismal season. In his four professional seasons, he has yet to record a passer rating below 103.