Several players from around the NFL were dealt a brutal reminder that making a team's initial 53-man roster doesn't guarantee they will remain a member of that team for long.
The NFL processed its waiver claims following its 53-man roster deadline on Monday, Aug. 31. Those claims resulted in a second batch of releases, which contained several more notable releases ahead of the 2026 seasons.
Most surprising among those was the Dallas Cowboys opting to release quarterback Joe Milton after he enjoyed a quality preseason. Even so, he was far from the only potential-packed player, or veteran with starting experience, to hit the open market.
Here's an updated look at the most notable cuts from the NFL's 53-man roster deadline for 2026 – and the waiver
period that followed the annual culling.
QB Joe Milton, Dallas Cowboys
Milton enjoyed a quality preseason for the Cowboys, completing 29 of 43 passes (67.4%) for 378 yards and three touchdowns while adding a touchdown on the ground. He earned praise from Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer for his performance and season-to-season improvement in Dallas' offense.
As a result, Milton made Dallas' initial 53-man roster. However, he was released the following day when the Cowboys claimed running back Emari Demercado off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Cowboys still have free-agent acquisition Sam Howell on the roster behind Dak Prescott, so they may be banking on Milton being able to clear waivers and make it back to their practice squad. Even so, it was surprising to see the 26-year-old released considering his preseason performance and tantalizing combination of athleticism and arm strength.
QB Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
The Titans spent a second-round pick on Levis in 2023, but he never quite lived up to the billing. The Kentucky product posted a 5-16 record across 21 starts with the Titans while completing 61% of his passes for 3,899 yards, 21 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
Levis didn't play in 2025 because of a shoulder injury and the Titans signed veteran Mitchell Trubisky to back up Cam Ward during the offseason. So, while Levis is one of the more recognizable players to be released, the Titans parting with him is hardly a surprise.
P Johnny Hekker, Minnesota Vikings
Hekker is a four-time first-team All-Pro who has put together a strong, 14-season NFL career. Even so, the 36-year-old couldn't beat undrafted rookie Brett Thorson for the Vikings' punter job.
Hekker has averaged 46.8 yards per punt, and 42.7 net yards, across his career, so he should draw interest from punter-needy teams in free agency.
K Jason Sanders, New York Jets
Hekker wasn't the only All-Pro to be released. Sanders, a 2020 first-team All-Pro, also got the axe after signing a one-year deal to compete for the Jets' kicker job in 2026.
Sanders had an up-and-down preseason, making just 2 of 3 field goals with a long of 47 and 2 of 3 extra points. The Jets opted to release him after that performance and claimed Blake Grupe off waivers, presumably to fill their starting kicker role.
Sanders has made 187 of his 221 career field goal attempts (84.6%) and is 33 of 48 on attempts of 50-plus yards (68.8%). The 30-year-old hasn't played since the 2024 season after missing last year with a hip injury, so he will now be tasked with getting back on track as a member of the Jets' practice squad.
RB Jaydon Blue, Dallas Cowboys
Many anticipated Blue had won the Cowboys' backup running back job after he posted 23 carries and 94 rushing yards across two preseason games and was held out of Dallas' finale. Instead, he was surprisingly waived along with fellow 2025 draft pick Phil Mafah, clearing the way for veteran Malik Davis – and the newly acquired Demercado – to battle for the backup running back job.
Blue only totaled 129 yards on 38 carries during his lone season with the Cowboys. He will now get a fresh start after signing with the Eagles' practice squad following the NFL's waiver period.
RB Jaleel McLaughlin, Denver Broncos
McLaughlin was ultimately squeezed out in a loaded Broncos backfield that already features J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey and rookie Jonah Coleman. Still, it shouldn't take him long to find work for the 2026 NFL season.
The soon-to-be 26-year-old has good speed and burst as he showed frequently across his three seasons with Denver, during which he logged 1,093 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on 226 carries (4.8 yards per carry).
DT Mazi Smith, New York Jets
Smith was a first-round pick by the Cowboys in 2023 and was part of the trade that landed Quinnen Williams in Dallas. Smith failed to log a tackle across his three games with the Jets and was unable to make the roster ahead of the 2026 season.
The 25-year-old will now look for his third different NFL home across his first four seasons.
OL Evan Neal, New York Giants
The Giants selected Neal with the seventh overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The 6-7, 340-pound offensive lineman never found his footing in New York, struggling across 29 games (27 starts) and missing the entire 2025 campaign due to injury.
Nonetheless, the Giants re-signed Neal to a one-year deal in free agency to allow him to compete for a roster spot. He wasn't able to win one, ending his disappointing tenure with the Giants. The soon-to-be 26-year-old could land a spot with another team thanks to his combination of youth, size and the general lack of quality offensive line depth across the NFL.
G/C Ben Brown, New England Patriots
It's rare for teams to let go quality offensive line depth. That's exactly what Brown is, as the 2022 undrafted free agent has blossomed into a quality backup along the interior offensive line.
Brown appeared in 27 games with 14 starts for the Patriots over the last two seasons. He did not allow a sack across 329 snaps played in 2025 and his 67.1 Pro Football Focus grade would have graded 30th among guards had he played enough snaps to qualify.
OT Shiyazh Pete, Dallas Cowboys
That Pete was released wasn't a major surprise. The undrafted rookie from Kentucky was always viewed as a longshot to make Dallas' roster despite his massive 6-9, 309-pound frame.
Even so, Pete's release is notable. He won over the hearts of many with a locker room speech after the Cowboys' preseason win over the Arizona Cardinals. He was also the first member of Navajo Nation to make it to the NFL, so him landing on a 53-man roster, or even a practice squad, would be historic.
WR Mecole Hardman, Buffalo Bills
Hardman caught the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl 58, when he was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. He was hoping to return for a second season in Buffalo after playing two games for the team last season but failed to win a roster spot.
Hardman did not immediately sign to a practice squad, but teams should keep an eye on the 28-year-old veteran, who has good speed and solid skills as a returner.
TE Justin Joly, Denver Broncos
The Broncos selected Joly in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and he showed off his speed on an 88-yard touchdown reception during the team's final preseason game. However, Denver evidently didn't see enough from the rookie to justify keeping him, as the team waived him as part of its final roster cuts while keeping seventh-round rookie Dallen Bentley.
Tight ends were a hot commodity during the 2026 NFL Draft, so it wasn't a surprise to see Joly draw interest on waivers. The Dolphins claimed the NC State product, and he will have a chance to battle for a role early in what looks like a wide-open tight end room.
DL Zach Harrison, Atlanta Falcons
Harrison posted 4.5 sacks across seven games during the 2025 NFL season. Many viewed it as a sign the 2023 third-round pick was starting to break out, but the Falcons cut bait with him after he initially made the team's 53-man roster.
Harrison has 8.5 career sacks across 40 games despite making just eight starts. The 25-year-old could draw interest from teams looking to beef up their interior pass rushes.
DE Emmanuel Ogbah, Kansas City Chiefs
Ogbah is a 10-year veteran with 48 career sacks who was recently a full-time starter with the Miami Dolphins in 2024.
The 32-year-old couldn't make the Chiefs' 53-man roster in his second-stint in Kansas City. That could be read as a vote of confidence in the young pass rushers currently under contract for Kansas City.
QB Max Brosmer, Minnesota Vikings
Brosmer may not be as notable as the other quarterbacks on this list, but he did make two starts during the 2025 NFL season. He posted a 1-1 record across those two games while completing 66.2% of his passes for 328 yards, but also throwing four interceptions.
Brosmer figures to re-sign with the Vikings' practice squad if he clears waivers. He'll be the team's fourth-string quarterback behind Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz and J.J. McCarthy.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The 15 most notable players released during NFL's 2026 roster cuts
