The NFL has mandated teams to cut down their rosters to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on the Tuesday prior to Labor Day weekend in previous years. However, this year’s date has been bumped earlier by 46 hours to Sunday, Aug. 30 at 6 p.m. ET.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network relayed the information.
In previous NFL campaigns, teams had to cut down their rosters to 85 players, then 80 players, then the final 53-player amount prior to the season.
Since 2023, the NFL has done just one cutdown to 53 players. Teams are allowed to have a maximum of 90 players on their roster during training camp and the preseason.
The 2026 season begins on Wednesday, Sept. 9, when the Seattle Seahawks host the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl rematch. Seattle beat New England 29-13 last February to win the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy.
The season usually starts on the Thursday following Labor Day weekend. However, that’s changing this year with the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams playing in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday, Sept. 10 (Friday, Sept. 11 local time).
So the NFL season is getting going a little earlier for teams. Of note, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters (h/t David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone) his team is getting in a week before the game.
One can surmise, then, that the earlier season start is perhaps leading to an earlier cutdown date.
