All NFL teams are now in the process of reducing their rosters to 53 players and while those rosters are never final, the number stands pat at 53. Teams will now play musical chairs with players signing some to their practice squad and claiming some off of waivers. For those unfamiliar with the process, the NFL waiver wire is a 24‑hour process for teams to claim players waived from their teams, with priority set by a fixed priority order that decides which team gets a waived player if more than one team submits a claim. In that scenario, the team highest in the waiver order is awarded the player. Waiver order from now through Week 3 is based on that year’s original NFL Draft order. (Any trades that are made in the draft are not taken into account)
What are the waiver wire rules?
- The 53-man cutdown deadline is 5 p.m. CT on Sunday, August 30 after which time every NFL team must be at 53 players. Rosters will be reduced from 90 players to 53 players, which means each team makes 37 cuts.
- Waiver claims clear at 12 p.m. CT on Monday, August 31.
- Vested veterans (played four or more accrued seasons) are not subject to waivers and become free agents immediately; players with fewer seasons must clear waivers first.
- Teams can start signing player to their practice squads, which can hold up to 16 players, or 17 with the International Player designation.
What is the waiver wire order?
- Las Vegas Raiders
- New York Jets
- Arizona Cardinals
- Tennessee Titans
- New York Giants
- Cleveland Browns
- Washington Commanders
- New Orleans Saints
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Miami Dolphins
- Dallas Cowboys
- Atlanta Falcons
- Baltimore Ravens
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Indianapolis Colts
- Detroit Lions
- Minnesota Vikings
- Carolina Panthers
- Green Bay Packers
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Chicago Bears
- Buffalo Bills
- San Francisco 49ers
- Houston Texans
- Los Angeles Rams
- Denver Broncos
- New England Patriots
- Seattle Seahawks
In the 2026 NFL waiver wire order, the New Orleans Saints are ranked No. 9, giving them a top‑ten claim position for waived players during the early weeks of the season. A top‑ten spot is considered a strong position in the waiver wire, as it gives the Saints early access to players released by other teams.
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