NFL waiver wire, explained: How does it work, and what does it mean for the Patriots?

The New England Patriots began their cutdown of the 90-man roster early, letting go of 14 players on Friday and another on Sunday to enter the NFL’s deadline day on Aug. 26 with 76 players on their active roster. This left them with 23 moves left to be made before Tuesday 4 p.m. ET, and a majority of those came by the most straight-forward of roster reduction methods: cutting players.

In total, the Patriots cut 36 players in the aftermath of their preseason finale. Not every one of those cuts was

the same, however: the NFL differentiates between so called vested veterans and those with less experience on their respective résumés. Whereas the former group immediately entered the open market, all the players in the latter will pass through the waiver wire to either end up on another team or as free agents.

What exactly does all of this mean for the Patriots and the NFL’s other 31 teams, though? Let’s find out.

What is the NFL waiver wire?

As the final preparations begin for the season, teams will make massive changes to their roster, either waiving or releasing players. But not all players instantly become free agents and free to sign with any team.

Well, when a player is “waived,” they are subject to the waiver wire, where any team can claim them and assume their current contract. Currently, the waiver wire order is dependent on the NFL Draft order from this past April, but without any trades.

Teams will file waiver claims at the same time, but only the team with the highest claim will successfully pick up the player and their current contract.

Which NFL players are subject to go on waivers and not be released?

Whether or not a player enters the waiver wire of becomes a free agent depends on a player’s NFL service time. Players with at least four years of accrued NFL service time are outright released. If a player is released, their contract has ended, and they’re eligible to sign with any team.

However, if a player has less than four years of service time, they are waived and subject to waiver wire claims. Any player who is not claimed after being waived is eligible to sign wherever they’d like, including their former team’s practice squad.

Mainly, the group of players getting waived is those who are currently not eligible for unrestricted free agency status entering the year. They would be an exclusive rights free agent (less than three years of service) or a restricted free agent (three years of service).

Which Patriots cuts are subject to waivers?

In total, 32 Patriots players will first have to pass through the waiver wire, where they might get claimed by any NFL team, before entering the open market.

• QB Ben Wooldridge
• RB Micah Bernard
• RB Shane Watts
• RB Terrell Jennings
• WR Phil Lutz Jr.
• WR John Jiles
• WR Jeremiah Webb
• TE Jaheim Bell
• TE Cole Fotheringham
• TE C.J. Dippre
• TE Gee Scott Jr.
• OT Demontrey Jacobs
• OT Jack Conley
• OL Sidy Sow
• OL Layden Robinson
• OL Tyrese Robinson
• OL Mehki Butler
• OL Alec Lindstrom
• OL Cole Strange
• DT Philip Blidi
• DT David Olajiga
• DT Jahvaree Ritzie
• ED Truman Jones
• ED Bradyn Swinson
• LB R.J. Moten
• LB Cam Riley
• CB Jordan Polk
• CB Isaiah Bolden
• CB Miles Battle
• CB Brandon Crossley
• CB Kobee Minor
• K Parker Romo

Which Patriots cuts are not subject to waivers?

Four of the Patriots released between Friday and Tuesday were vested veterans. They became free agents as soon as the respective moves were made official, meaning that they are all free to sign with any team of their choosing.

• RB JaMycal Hasty
• DT Kyle Peko
• LB Monty Rice
• S Marcus Epps

What is the NFL waiver order right now?

The NFL waiver order during the preseason and the first three weeks of the regular season mirrors the 2025 NFL Draft order. Once we get through four games, it resets to the current NFL standings. So, the Titans have first crack at every player on waivers.

1. Tennessee Titans
2. Cleveland Browns
3. New York Giants
4. New England Patriots
5. Jacksonville Jaguars
6. Las Vegas Raiders
7. New York Jets
8. Carolina Panthers
9. New Orleans Saints
10. Chicago Bears
11. San Francisco 49ers
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. Miami Dolphins
14. Indianapolis Colts
15. Atlanta Falcons
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Cincinnati Bengals
18. Seattle Seahawks
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Denver Broncos
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Los Angeles Chargers
23. Green Bay Packers
24. Minnesota Vikings
25. Houston Texans
26. Los Angeles Rams
27. Baltimore Ravens
28. Detroit Lions
29. Washington Commanders
30. Buffalo Bills
31. Kansas City Chiefs
32. Philadelphia Eagles

How does the NFL waiver system work?

For the purpose of illustrating how waivers work, let’s assume the fourth-ranked Patriots and fifth-ranked Jaguars are the two teams to put in a claim for a player. He will end up in New England due to the organization’s superior ranking. The team with the lowest bid will always end up with the player.

Teams can add as many players through waivers as they want, but they might have to make corresponding roster moves to fit them on their 53-man team and/or under the salary cap.

Have the Patriots made any moves yet?

In order to stay on top of every transaction involving the Patriots on Wednesday, be they waiver claims or practice squad signing, make sure to regularly visit our Patriots practice squad and waiver wire tracker.