With the 2026 preseason wrapping things up, the Chicago Bears will have to trim their roster down shortly after their preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans on Saturday night.
The Bears will have to trim their roster to 53 players by Sunday at 5 p.m. CT. Unlike previous years, there is just one cutdown date, following the final preseason game, on Aug. 30, where all 32 teams must narrow this roster from 90 to 53 players.
After teams have narrowed their roster to 53 players, they will have until 12 p.m. CT on Monday to claim players placed on waivers during final cuts. Those will be announced shortly after the deadline. Chicago is 25th in waiver priority after finishing the 2025 season with the NFL's eight-best record, which means general
manager Ryan Poles won't have as good of a chance to land some top targets amid waiver claims.
Once players have cleared waivers, teams can begin assembling their 16-player practice squad starting at 12 p.m. CT on Monday.
When's the NFL roster cutdown deadline?
Every NFL team, including the Bears, needs to trim their roster to 53 players by Sunday, Aug. 30 at 5 p.m. CT. Unlike previous summers where there were multiple roster deadlines, there is just one mass cutdown day after the preseason.
How do waiver claims work?
With 32 NFL teams trimming their rosters from 90 to 53 players, there will be a lot of players hitting the open market, including some who could interest other rosters. But teams can’t just go out and sign any player. They’ll need to hope that another team ahead of them in the waiver order doesn’t also want that player.
Where are the Bears in the waiver order?
The waiver order is reflected in the 2026 NFL Draft order, which means the Bears are 25th in the waiver order, which means they don't have as good of an opportunity to land some top targets like years past.
When is the waiver claim deadline?
The waiver claim deadline is Monday, Aug. 31 at 12 p.m. CT. Those waiver claims will be announced an hour later and then teams can begin filling out their practice squads.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: When do the Bears have to make final roster cuts?
