On Thursday, the NFL announced a change in their roster cutdown deadline. In 2026, NFL rosters must be trimmed to 53 players by Sunday, Aug. 30 at 5 p.m. CT. This is a change over recent years, when the cutdown day was the Tuesday after the final weekend of preseason games. Additionally, waiver claims will be due by Noon CT on Monday, Aug. 31. The first NFL regular season game is on Wednesday, Sept. 9 and the Saints kick off their season against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 13.
NFL teams may still carry a full training camp roster of 90 players until the mandatory cutdown day. That change was made several years prior, when their were multiple cut days during training camp. Now, NFL coaches must make their roster a few days earlier than compared to recent years.
For the Saints, their initial 53-man roster must be set two days after their final preseason outing. The Saints kick off their preseason on Sunday, Aug. 15 at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars before visiting the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Aug. 22. They’ll close out the preseason on Friday, Aug. 28 and have a couple of days to make tough decisions on the opening-day roster.
