The Falcons will have less time to assemble their 53-man roster this year.
The NFL has made a change to its 2026 roster deadline and the Atlanta Falcons are going to want to take note. According to league insider Tom Pelissero, this year’s final cutdown deadline will be moved up by a few days from its usual Tuesday afternoon slot.
“The NFL informed teams recently that this year’s cutdown deadline to 53 players will be 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 30 — not the following Tuesday, as it has been in recent years, sources say,” reported Pelissero. “Waiver claims will be due at 1 p.m. ET on Monday, Aug. 31. The season kicks off Sept. 9.”
While the reasoning behind this change isn’t clear, NFL teams may have to slightly alter their normal routines. For a team like the Falcons, they need all of the time they can get. Since Atlanta’s 2026 NFL Draft class had just six players, Atlanta brought in 14 undrafted free agents.
Several players of these UDFA signings, including wide receiver Vinny Anthony II and center James Brockermeyer, have a real shot to make the 53-man roster in 2026.
The Falcons will kick off their three-game preseason schedule against the Denver Broncos on August 14. Then, the team will hold two joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts before facing off against them on August 22. After that, it’s off to Miami for the preseason finale on Friday, August 28.
