What are the NFL cut dates for 2023? Unlike previous years with multiple cut dates, NFL teams will have one window to cut down their roster to 53.
NFL preseason is always an intriguing time as teams evaluate players and trim their rosters down to the regular-season total of 53. Who makes and misses the cut is the subject of plenty of speculation. It's usually one of the central storylines of series like HBO's Hard Knocks for a reason.
The 2023 preseason will work out a bit differently than past years though. While teams were expected to make wave of cuts through the preseason, now they get more time to evaluate which players are worth keeping and which will get the ax.
So what are the new cut dates for 2023?
NFL Cut Dates: When must preseason rosters be trimmed?
There will be one big cut date in the NFL this year: Tuesday, Aug. 29
That's because the league voted to keep rosters at 90 players through the final preseason game, with a single cut down to 53.
The final preseason games will take place over the weekend of Aug. 24-27. Then teams will have a day to make their decisions before the deadline for cutting down the roster on Tuesday, Aug. 29.
How did it used to work? Teams used to go from 90 to 85 and then 85 to 80 and finally 80 to 53 after the final preseason game.
Now it all comes in one big chunk.
What does this mean for the preseason? Well, teams will have more players at their disposal during each of the preseason weeks. Those players will get more opportunities to impress while starters and key contributors whose place on the roster isn't in question may have more opportunities to sit out.
