NFL waiver wire explained: Commanders players subject to the process

One of the older teams in the NFL this season, the Washington Commanders had over 30 players who could have been subject to waivers as the team cut down from 90 players to 53 yesterday.

Of course, a substantial number players on their rookie contracts should be safe losing their roster spots, but, if any are waived this week, they are subject to the waiver wire pool and can be claimed by another team.

NFL waiver priority is 2025 draft order (no trades) for the first three weeks of the new season. 1.

Titans 2. Browns 3. Giants 4. Patriots 5. Jaguars Etc..
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) August 24, 2025

If not claimed by another team, after noon on Wednesday they are eligible to be a part of Washington’s 17-man practice squad.

Which Washington Commanders are subject to waivers?

LB Kam Arnold
DT Ricky Barber
WR Ja’Corey Brooks

WR Jacoby Jones
LB Ale Kaho
S Robert McDaniel
G Timothy McKay

DE Andre Jones Jr.

DE Norell Pollard

RB Demetric Felton

CB Car’lin Vigers
RB Kazmeir Allen
QB Sam Hartman
WR Tay Martin
S Ben Nikkel
WR Braylon Sanders

CB Trey Amos
T Josh Conerly Jr.
RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt

WR Jaylin Lane
LB Kain Medrano
T Brandon Coleman
QB Jayden Daniels
DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste
LB Jordan Magee
WR Luke McCaffrey
DT Jer’Zhan Newton
S Tyler Owens
CB Mike Sainristil
TE Ben Sinnott
TE Colson Yankoff
S Quan Martin

How waivers work in the NFL?

When a player is ‘waived’, he is subject to the waiver wire, where any team can claim him and assume his current contract. Currently, the waiver wire order (listed below) is dependent on the NFL Draft order from this past April, but without any trades.

Every team that is interested in acquiring a player will file its waiver claim at the same time, but only the team with the highest claim will successfully ‘claim’ the player and his current contract.

Which NFL players are subject to waivers?

Whether or not a player enters the waiver wire or becomes a free agent depends on a player’s NFL service time. Players with at least four years of accrued NFL service time are released outright. In this case, the player’s contract ends, he immediately becomes an unrestricted free agent and is eligible to sign with any team.

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

Mainly, the group of players who get waived comprises those who are currently not eligible for unrestricted free agency status entering the year — Exclusive Rights Free Agents (less than three years of service) or Restricted Free Agents (three years of service).

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 (absent trades). Once we get through three games, the waiver order resets to the current NFL standings. So, until Week 4, the Titans have first crack at every player on waivers.