NFL waiver wire rules and the Panthers' position in the claiming order

By 6:00 p.m. ET tonight, the Carolina Panthers will have their initial 53-man roster for the 2026 regular season. And to get there, they'll be parting ways with close to 40 players.

That, of course, is also the case for the NFL's 31 other teams. So, over 1,000 players will removed from league rosters—with many of them headed for the waiver wire.

For players who are waived, any team can put in a claim for that player—but he will be only be awarded to the team that is highest in the waiver wire order. That is determined by the queue from this year's draft.

Here's where the Panthers stand in that line:

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

However, the waivers process doesn't cover everybody. Players who have been in the league for at least four years are not subject to waivers—so when

they get cut, they are "released," and therefore free to sign with any team.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: NFL waiver wire rules and the Panthers' position in the claiming order