1 Player Each NFL Team Should Cut Before the 2025 Season

There is no more feared man in the NFL in August than The Turk.

On August 27, players across the league will receive the call no one wants from him: "The coaches want to see you. Bring your playbook."

And just like that, it's over. They are cut. Many will latch on with other teams or practice squads. But it's the end of a dream for others.

All told, over 1,100 players will be let go when cutdown day arrives. Some are rookies who never really had a chance to make an NFL team, while others will be veterans whose release will come as a shock to some.

No team is spared from making the hard calls, but they all have players for whom the call shouldn't be that difficult.

Arizona Cardinals

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LB Zaven Collins

To be clear, the Arizona Cardinals aren't going to cut Zaven Collins for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, teams don't like to admit they blew it on a Round 1 pick, even if the current regime isn't the one that drafted him. The second is financial, as the Redbirds would get bupkus in the way of cap relief after extending Collins last year.

That deal is on the new regime.

At this point, though, Collins' best chance of salvaging his career likely lies in a change of scenery. The Cardinals tried him at linebacker, and that didn't work. The 26-year-old led the team with five sacks last year, but he hasn't been especially effective off the edge, either.

After four mostly disappointing seasons in the desert, it's clear Collins just isn't a good fit in Arizona. And with Baron Browning back and B.J. Ojulari potentially nearing a return, it may be time to just admit that and move on.

Atlanta Falcons

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QB Kirk Cousins

Right now, the Atlanta Falcons, veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins and the rest of the NFL are all engaged in a three-way game of chicken.

The Falcons desperately want Cousins (and his $27.5 million guaranteed salary) off the books. The veteran wants a chance to play, but barring injury to Michael Penix Jr. that isn't happening in Atlanta. But the NFL's other 31 teams don't want to be on the hook for a bag of cash for a quarterback who was mostly dreadful in 2024.

Now it's possible the Los Angeles Rams could come calling if Matthew Stafford's back doesn't improve. Or another injury under center could spur a team to work out a trade.

If that doesn't happen, though, the Falcons need to acknowledge that guaranteed salary is a sunk cost and just be done with it.

Baltimore Ravens

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Edge David Ojabo

It has been a rough first three seasons for Baltimore Ravens edge-rusher David Ojabo.

Once considered a potential first-round pick, the 25-year-old tore his Achilles while preparing for the 2022 draft. He barely played over his first two seasons: five games, seven tackles and a pair of sacks.

Last year, Ojabo played in 13 games, but he was again invisible—nine total stops and two sacks. That’s 16 tackles and four sacks over 379 snaps—not exactly the impact the Ravens hoped for when they drafted him in the second round.

The Michigan product has declared himself healthy and drawn positive reviews from coaches at training camp. But the Ravens were already deep on the edge before adding 2024 FBS sack leader Mike Green in the 2025 draft.

Ojabo is buried on the depth chart. And it will take an injury to save his roster spot.

Buffalo Bills

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WR Elijah Moore

It might seem odd to declare a wide receiver for a team that isn't exactly swimming in talent at the position a cut candidate.

However, the reality is Elijah Moore won't be making an impact for the Bills in 2025.

Yes, he has shown the occasional flash over four NFL seasons. But he hasn't impressed in camp, didn't catch a pass in Buffalo's first preseason game and is stuck on the Bills depth chart behind Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer and Curtis Samuel—at least.

The Bills would have to eat the remaining $1.75 million on Moore's deal, but that would come off the books if he signed with another team.

At any rate, it's not enough money to dissuade the Bills from cutting bait on a player unlikely to contribute on offense or special teams.

Carolina Panthers

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DT A'Shawn Robinson

When the Panthers signed defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson to a three-year, $22.5 million contract in 2024, the veteran was supposed to help Derrick Brown anchor the inside of the defensive line.

Instead, Brown got hurt, and while Robinson amassed 80 total tackles and 5.5 sacks in his first year with the team, he also played a significant role in Carolina's league-worst run defense. Per PFF, he graded 100th or worse among defensive tackles across the board a season ago.

Cutting Robinson outright won't be cheap, as he carries a dead cap hit of just over $5 million. But the Panthers made major investments in free agency in a pair of defensive tackles in Bobby Brown III and Tershawn Wharton.

They don't need an aging tackle whose greatest strength (run-stopping) has become a glaring weakness, especially with Brown set to return from injury.

Chicago Bears

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WR Tyler Scott

There was a time when it appeared Tyler Scott might actually make a name for himself in Chicago. As a rookie, he made four starts and caught 17 passes for 168 yards in 439 snaps.

But in 2024, Scott had one catch for five yards while playing 20 offensive snaps. He played just 55 snaps total for the season.

Again, when you have a wide receiver buried on the depth chart (Scott is buried even deeper in 2025) who contributes little to nothing on special teams, that's an easy cut.

Bears fans, when I call for the team to release underwhelming inside linebacker Tremaine Edmunds next year, you can be mad at me then.

Cincinnati Bengals

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OG Cordell Volson

Given how badly the Cincinnati Bengals have struggled on the offensive line in recent years, cutting a lineman who made 15 starts for the team last year might appear an unusual suggestion.

However, showing Cordell Volson the door may well be addition by subtraction.

The 27-year-old played his part in Cincinnati's struggles up front a year ago. Per Pro Football Focus, the site's 79th-ranked guard allowed six sacks and committed eight penalties in just under 1,000 snaps. He was benched for two games in the second half of the season.

It’s possible Volson could wind up starting at left guard to open the season, but the better scenario for the Bengals is rookie third-rounder Dylan Fairchild stepping up and becoming what Volson has been unable to be: a capable interior lineman.

If that's the case, Volson should get the gate.

Cleveland Browns

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QB Joe Flacco

Right now, Joe Flacco is the only healthy quarterback on Cleveland's dumpster fire of a roster. He's also the only signal-caller in town who has experienced any real success in the NFL.

But he should absolutely not see the field for the Browns in 2025.

Want experience? Fine. See if 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett can turn his career around in Cleveland. But at some point, the Browns have to see what they have in rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, especially after surprisingly using a third-round pick on the former.

Cleveland has a pair of first-rounders in 2026: their own and Jacksonville's. Flacco isn't going to miraculously lead the Browns to the playoffs a la 2023. But he could win just enough games to mess up their chances of drafting an elite quarterback prospect without using both picks to trade up.

Dallas Cowboys

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LB Damone Clark

Damone Clark isn't a bad NFL linebacker. Two years ago, after recovering from spinal fusion surgery, he started all 17 games for the Cowboys and posted over 100 total tackles.

But the converted safety is a liability against the run, and with the Cowboys retooling their linebacker corps in the offseason, he finds himself well down the depth chart.

From all indications in training camp, newcomer Jack Sanborn will be Dallas' "green dot" defensive signal-caller until DeMarvion Overshown returns from injury. He will likely be flanked by fellow free-agent signee Kenneth Murray Jr., with Marist Liufau taking over as the No. 3 linebacker.

Clark did play 284 special teams snaps last season, but for a perennially cap-strapped team like Dallas, $3.5 million is a lot to play a so-so special teamer.

Dallas would save nearly that whole amount by letting Clark go, cash that will pay for at least like 15 snaps from edge-rusher Micah Parsons.

Denver Broncos

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RB Jaleel McLaughlin

Much has been made of the battle between veteran J.K. Dobbins and rookie R.J. Harvey to start at running back for the Denver Broncos in 2025. What has flown under the radar a bit is the logjam the team now has at the position.

Someone is going to be the odd man out—and that could be third-year pro Jaleel McLaughlin.

McLaughlin is a decent player. He set the NCAA's all-time rushing record at Youngstown State and averaged a respectable 4.4 yards a pop on 113 carries in 2024. He's also a capable receiver out of backfield.

But Harvey and Dobbins are locks to make the roster. Audric Estime, who was drafted by the current regime a year ago, likely is as well. Assuming the Broncos carry four running backs into the regular season, that leaves one roster spot for either McLaughlin, Tyler Badie or Blake Watson.

With Badie and Watson impressing in camp, McLaughlin's days in the Mile High City could be numbered.

Detroit Lions

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Edge Josh Paschal

Sometimes, the NFL is just a numbers game.

In a vacuum, the Lions would probably prefer to hold onto edge-rusher Josh Paschal. It's not that he hasn't disappointed over his tenure with the team—the second-round pick in 2022 has managed just five sacks over his first three seasons with the team.

However, he is still just 25 years old, and the Lions have been snakebitten by injuries on the edge in recent years.

That's a big part of the problem, though.

Paschal currently finds himself on the Active/NFL list with an undisclosed injury, and Lions head coach Dan Campbell indicated it may be September before he is able to even return to practice.

That means the Lions could be forced to let another, healthy player go so they can hold onto a pass-rusher who hasn't been especially good at rushing the passer.

Green Bay Packers

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WR Mecole Hardman

Mecole Hardman has spent most of his professional career with the Kansas City Chiefs, after being drafted in Round 2 in 2019. He has 28 starts, 178 receptions, 16 touchdowns and three Super Bowl rings.

Based on his performance in Green Bay's preseason opener, though, Hardman could start the 2025 season looking for work.

After a performance that included a key drop and a muffed punt, the 27-year-old told reporters he wasn't going to let one shaky outing rattle him.

"It's short-term memory," he said. "Windshield wipers. You've got to clear out the fog and come in this week with a better mindset. A better mentality of going out there and getting better."

But Hardman has never come especially close to living up to his draft slot. And on a Packers team loaded with young talent at wide receiver, he has no margin to make the sort of errors he made in his Green Bay debut.

Houston Texans

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DT Denico Autry

Just one year ago, the Houston Texans signed defensive tackle Denico Autry to a two-year, $20 million contract after the 35-year-old logged 50 total tackles and a career-high 11.5 sacks with the Tennessee Titans in 2023.

If last year was any indication, that massive 2023 campaign was the veteran's last hurrah. He was all but invisible in his first year in Houston, logging just 13 tackles and three sacks in a season where he served a six-game suspension for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drugs policy.

Now, Autry is on the Active/PUP list dealing with the same knee injury that hampered him most of last year. Houston has already restructured his contract, and while releasing him would result in a $4.5 million dead cap hit, it would also clear over $5 million off the books.

Signing Autry was a risky move that didn't pan out. The best thing the Texans can do is admit that and move on.

Indianapolis Colts

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RB Khalil Herbert

The Indianapolis Colts have one of the NFL’s most talented running backs in Jonathan Taylor. But he has had some injury issues, and the depth behind him has been an issue for some time.

In an effort to address that depth in the offseason, the Colts signed Herbert, who spent most of 2024 in Cincinnati after three-plus years in Chicago. He has averaged a solid 4.8 yards per carry on 400 career totes, but that's not likely to be enough to keep him on the active roster past final cuts.

The Colts also spent a Day 3 pick in the 2025 draft on D.J. Giddens and still have youngster Tyler Goodson on the roster. To date, Herbert has been unable to pass either on the depth chart.

Barring a remarkable turnaround, Herbert's days with the Colts are numbered.

Jacksonville Jaguars

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OLB Dennis Gardeck

Dennis Gardeck appeared to be a rising talent back in 2020, when he tallied seven sacks in less than 100 snaps for the Arizona Cardinals. In 2023, he had six sacks and played over 500 snaps for the first time in his career.

A torn ACL ended his 2024 campaign after seven games, but the Jaguars saw enough to give him a one-year, $2 million pact to come to Jacksonville.

He may not be there long, though.

Gardeck only recently returned to the practice field, so he has some catching up to do. He's also something of a tweener who is an odd fit as an off-ball strong-side linebacker.

Yasir Abdullah appears to have the inside track to start at Sam, and Ventrell Miller flashed in almost 500 snaps for the Jags last year.

Unless Gardeck shows a lot in a short amount of time, the veteran could wind up on the wrong side of the 53-man roster crunch.

Kansas City Chiefs

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RB Carson Steele

There's no denying Carson Steele was a fan favorite as a rookie a year ago.

When injuries hit Kansas City's running backs last year, he actually made three starts.

And therein lies the rub. Steele just wasn't good when that opportunity arose.

He averaged just 3.3 yards per carry in 2024 and put the ball on the ground three times. Neither of those numbers belie job security.

Now, with veteran Elijah Mitchell and rookie Brashard Smith joining holdovers Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt in Kansas City, Steele is no better than fifth on the depth chart at running back for the defending AFC champions.

And with zero chance Kansas City enters the season with five running backs on the active roster, Steele's best case if he wants to remain with the Chiefs is probably the practice squad.

Las Vegas Raiders

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LB Jaylon Smith

Frankly, there aren't many recognizable names who are in real danger of being cut by the Raiders. As the new regime in Sin City attempts to remake the roster, the team needs all the talent it can get on both sides of the ball.

But the reality is that while Jaylon Smith may once have been a big deal, the 30-year-old never had much of a chance to make the team.

It’s an awful story—and an object lesson in why so many collegiate players now skip bowl games. The gruesome knee injury Smith had in his last game at Notre Dame altered the entire trajectory of his career, and while he did get a big second contract from the Dallas Cowboys, two years after signing that deal he was visibly slower and out of Dallas.

Smith just isn't an NFL-caliber linebacker anymore. And truthfully, he hasn't been for some time.

Los Angeles Chargers

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WR Jalen Reagor

Five years into his NFL career, Jalen Reagor's biggest claim to fame is that he was quite possibly the dumbest pick Howie Roseman has made, going 21st overall to the Philadelphia Eagles just before the Minnesota Vikings drafted Justin Jefferson.

Now, Reagor likely finds himself on the wrong side of final cuts in Los Angeles, despite drawing positive reviews in training camp. The reason? The return of Keenan Allen to the Chargers.

It's not like Reagor did a lot in his first year in Los Angeles to justify being kept, he had seven catches for 100 yards in 2024. Over the last three years, he has just one touchdown catch and didn't surpass 150 receiving yards on three different teams.

Someone will roll the dice again on a 26-year-old former Round 1 pick. But if Reagor plays in 2025, it will be for his fourth team in as many seasons.

Los Angeles Rams

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OT David Quessenberry

David Quessenberry is a great story.

Originally drafted by the Houston Texans back in 2013, it would be 2017 before he ever saw an NFL field.

A foot injury wiped out his first season, and he was diagnosed with lymphoma the following year. He also spent the 2018 season on the practice squad of the Tennessee Titans.

However, Quessenberry continued plugging away, and by 2021, he was a full-time starter for the Titans. That was the only season he started more than six games, but he has spent well over a decade around the NFL.

Last year, he played just 110 snaps for the Minnesota Vikings, and while he offers the Rams some experience, there are just too many younger players ahead of him on the depth chart, including undrafted rookie guard Willie Lampkin, who starred in L.A.'s first exhibition game.

Miami Dolphins

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CB Cam Smith

Sometimes, NFL teams just have to admit they goofed up.

In 2023, they spent a second-round pick on Cam Smith after a standout career at South Carolina. But he just hasn't been able to build any momentum at the professional level—he has played just 153 defensive snaps in two years.

When he has been on the field, he has struggled—his career passer rating against is north of 100.

The Dolphins aren't especially deep at cornerback, especially after shipping Jalen Ramsey off to Pittsburgh. The likes of Storm Duck, Kendall Sheffield, Jason Marshall Jr., Jack Jones, Mike Hilton, and Ethan Bonner aren't going to inspire terror in opposing quarterbacks.

But with Bonner impressing in camp, Smith hasn't even been able to move up.

Maybe he can turn things around with a change of scenery.

Minnesota Vikings

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RB Ty Chandler

Another fan favorite gets the axe.

A fifth-round pick of the Vikings in 2022, Ty Chandler has been afforded some opportunities in the past; two years ago, he started four games, topped 100 carries and averaged 4.5 yards per tote.

But his playing time and effectiveness were both way down a year ago, with just 62 touches and 3.3 yards per carry.

With youngster Zavier Scott turning heads in camp and in the preseason, The Star Tribune's Mark Craig believes Chandler's grasp on the No. 3 running back job behind Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason is growing more tenuous by the day.

"I wouldn't say Chandler is entirely an afterthought," Craig said, "but he is being pushed very hard and, in my opinion, getting passed by Zavier Scott, who I sense is hungrier for the roster spot."

If you don't take advantage of your opportunities in the NFL, someone inevitably comes along who will.

New England Patriots

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Edge Anfernee Jennings

This may well be the most surprising name in this piece.

Heading into camp, no one expected Anfernee Jennings to be on the roster bubble. The sixth-year veteran started 16 games last year in New England, and while he had just 2.5 sacks, he piled up 78 total tackles in run support.

But as ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported, just one year after inking a three-year, $24 million contract extension, he played well into the fourth quarter of New England’s preseason opener.

There's little doubt Jennings has fallen behind Harold Landry III and K'Lavon Chaisson on the depth chart. And with new head coach Mike Vrabel preferring more aggressive edge-rushers who can collapse the pocket, he's fighting for a roster spot against the likes of Truman Jones and rookies Bradyn Swinson and Elijah Ponder.

If the first exhibition game was any indication, Jennings is losing that fight.

New Orleans Saints

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RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Remember when Clyde Edwards-Helaire was a first-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs who was going to be the next big thing at running back?

As a rookie, he was actually pretty solid, with 1,100 total yards, five touchdowns and 4.4 yards per carry.

But Edwards-Helaire's usage was never the same after that rookie season. He has just 154 carries over the past three seasons combined, and last year he spent his first season in New Orleans mostly holding down a bench, carrying the ball all of 13 times and averaging just 3.5 yards per carry.

Alvin Kamara is the unquestioned lead back in the Big Easy. Kendre Miller appears safely entrenched as the RB2. With Devin Neal and Velus Jones Jr. widely projected to round out the position group, both Edwards-Helaire and Cam Akers are former NFL starters who could be searching for new homes after cutdown day.

New York Giants

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QB Tommy DeVito

No, not Tommy Cutlets...

It has been a wild ride for DeVito—the undrafted rookie who was forced to start six games in his first year. In those six starts, He was actually OK and completed 64 percent of his passes, tossed eight touchdowns against just three picks and led the Giants to three wins.

DeVito made two more starts last year and even completed north of 70 percent of his throws. But he also averaged just 5.8 yards per attempt and averaged just 85.7 passing yards per game.

Those aren't NFL-starter numbers.

In the offseason, The Giants completely remade the quarterback room, bringing in veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston and trading back into Round 1 to draft Jaxson Dart in April.

The Giants aren't going to carry four quarterbacks, and while New York would likely love to stash DeVito on the practice squad, there are just too many teams with atrocious backups for him to clear waivers.

So, while a trade is a possibility, one way or another DeVito is DeGone.

New York Jets

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WR Malachi Corley

Here we go again. Another recent Day 2 draft pick who is on the thinnest of ice—in part because the current regime didn't have anything to do with drafting him.

Corley was essentially invisible for the Jets as a rookie—three catches for 16 yards in 83 snaps and a would-be touchdown run that became a turnover when dropped the ball to celebrate before crossing the goal line. He also missed a chunk of OTAs, which wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson admitted put the youngster at a disadvantage entering camp.

"My old coach, Bill Parcells, used to say the first thing you need to be is you need to be available," Jefferson told reporters. "He's missed some time, and there's a learning curve here, so he's in catch-up mode right now."

In the first preseason game, Corley was out there with third-stringers. But rather than blow by a bunch of scrubs, he caught just one pass.

He’s playing his way right off the Gang Green roster.

Philadelphia Eagles

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Edge Azeez Ojulari

It wasn't supposed to be like this for Azeez Ojulari in Philadelphia.

Over his four seasons with the New York Giants, he showed high-end per-snap production, including six sacks in less than 400 snaps last year. Durability was an issue, but if he could just stay healthy, he was headed for a career season in Philadelphia's new-look defensive front.

But things haven't gone according to plan for Ojulari in the City of Brotherly Love—at all. It’s no surprise he is behind Nolan Smith on the depth chart. Or Jalyx Hunt. But getting passed by veteran Josh Uche (who has five sacks over the last two seasons combined) is not a good look.

Maybe it's learning a new scheme. Or all the injuries have robbed Ojulari of a step. But whatever the reason, he has looked nothing like the explosive pass-rusher he was in New York.

And the dead cap hit for ending the Ojulari experiment before it ever begins is minimal.

Pittsburgh Steelers

AP Photo/Gary McCullough

Edge DeMarvin Leal

Another young, early round draft pick who just hasn't panned out.

Over three seasons with the Steelers, former third-round pick DeMarvin Leal has been mostly invisible. He has started just six games, played just 432 snaps and logged just one sack. Last year, a neck injury limited him to just five games, but he told reporters he's 100 percent healthy in 2025.

"Basically, had a bone spur and scoliosis in the back of my neck that they had to get out," he said. "About six to seven weeks of bed rest. Another three or four without any contact or anything. Maybe like last month I was finally cleared... It's completely good. Feels good. 100 percent. Fresh legs."

Leal is a rare physical specimen at 6'4" and 290 pounds, but so far, his size/speed combo has meant nothing between the lines. And with Pittsburgh adding Ohio State's Jack Sawyer to a room with two established starters in T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, switching positions isn't going to save Leal's roster spot.

San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Kelley L Cox

CB Tre Brown

It wasn't that long ago that cornerback Tre Brown looked to be well-positioned to make the 53-man roster in San Francisco.

Earlier in the summer, he stood out on the practice field, looking more like the youngster who made three starts and allowed just a 50 percent completion percentage against as a rookie in Seattle in 2021 and less like the sieve in coverage who had a passer rating against of 124.0 a year ago.

But Brown has gone from vying to start to potentially not making the team at all. Rookie Upton Stout has been outstanding in camp, so much so that he's now the favorite to start opposite Deommodore Lenoir.

In San Francisco’s first preseason game (with most of the starters spending the game as spectators), Brown played well into the second half.

Defensive backs with starting experience are valuable assets in the NFL. But from all indications, Brown is going to have to prove his value elsewhere.

Seattle Seahawks

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DT Quinton Bohanna

There probably aren’t going to be any major surprises when the Seattle Seahawks cut the roster down to 53, and the players most expect to make the team will do so.

Whether that means Seattle is shrewd in selecting starters or a team hurting for depth is a matter of perspective.

But someone has to go—and when cutdown day happens, Quinton Bohanna will be walking the (neon) green mile.

Bohanna is an OK depth piece. He has kicked around the NFL for four years, with stops in Dallas, Detroit, Tennessee and Seattle along the way. He has 13 NFL starts under his belt.

But he isn't a potential difference-maker with untapped potential—he's a 26-year-old, 355-pound road-grader who has all of 39 tackles and as many sacks in the pros as I do.

He could still end up on Seattle's practice squad, but the fact that he'd probably clear waivers is telling in and of itself.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

WR Trey Palmer

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one of the deepest wide receiver rooms in the NFL. It’s a good problem for the team, but it doesn’t bode well for third-year pro Trey Palmer.

Palmer had a quietly solid rookie season, catching 39 passes for 385 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games and eight starts. But despite the injuries that swept through Tampa's wideouts a year ago, his role in the offense decreased—his snap count fell by well over 50 percent, and he reeled in just 12 passes for 172 yards.

Mike Evans is Mike Evans. The same can be said of Chris Godwin, although he might open the season on PUP as he works his way back from the injury that ended his 2024 campaign.

Rookie first-rounder Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan and veteran Sterling Shepard (the likely fill-in for Godwin) all appear secure. Add in rookie Tez Johnson (who has looked good this summer) and the Buccaneers are six deep at wideout.

That makes Palmer a candidate for the practice squad—or headed elsewhere if a WR-needy team snares him off waivers.

Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/Tony Avelar

CB Amani Oruwariye

The Tennessee Titans should petition the NFL to let them keep 60 active players just to make things fair. Because this is one of the league's thinnest rosters from top to bottom. Questions abound on both sides of the ball.

With that said, the top-three cornerbacks appear relatively set: L'Jarius Sneed, Roger McCreary and Jarvis Brownlee Jr. After that trio? Um, yeah.

And after the team looked pancake-flat in the preseason opener, it's anyone's guess how the team will flesh out the position group.

It might be tempting to keep Amani Oruwariye in that case. The 29-year-old's 40 career starts make him one of the more experienced defenders on the team. But experience doesn't mean good.

There’s a reason why his playing time has steadily decreased in recent years—his 2023 season was almost completely wiped out by injury, and his passer rating against in 2022 and 2024 topped 100.

Oruwariye hasn't made a dent in practice or the preseason, and with no guaranteed money on his deal, cutting bait isn't a difficult call.

Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper

RB Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Every year, NFL teams are forced to make difficult decisions when final cuts roll around. They don't necessarily want to release players.

That's going to be the case this year in the nation's capital with running back Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Rodriguez hasn't posted big numbers to this date in his career: 86 career carries for 420 yards and four scores. But when he has been called upon over the last two years, the former Kentucky standout has answered.

The problem is that now, the bell tolls for him.

Brian Robinson Jr. is the lead back in Washington—that's not in question. Veteran Austin Ekeler is the third-down back, with Jeremy McNichols playing a similar role. Rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt has been one of the stars of the summer in D.C. and looks locked into a roster spot.

That depth chart is seemingly set. But Rodriguez isn't on it.