Tracking the 2024 Roster Cut Casualties for Fantasy Football

Aug 27, 2024

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

NFL franchises have made it through the draft, organized team activities, camp, and preseason. The final major offseason hurdle is now upon us – roster cuts. With just over a week until the Baltimore Ravens visit the defending Super Bowl Champions Kansas City Chiefs to kick off the 2024 regular season, each franchise must trim their roster to the final 53-man roster to begin the season.

The bulk of those casualties will come in the form of waived players and released players, although every year we see multiple last-minute trades. Also, teams have two injured reserve (IR) spots at their disposal in addition to the presence of the physically unable to perform list (PUP), both of which will not count towards the final roster number. And all these transactions must be complete prior to the end of the day on Tuesday, August 27, 2024. Players placed on IR are unlikely to play at any point in the coming season while players placed on PUP must miss a minimum of four games.

For fantasy managers, today represents the final peak behind the curtain for all 32 NFL franchises, giving us the ultimate look at depth charts, expected opportunity pecking order, and more. That makes today one of the most important days of the offseason, for the players, for these teams, and for the hoard of people every year partaking in fantasy football festivities.

And best of all, 4for4 has you covered! This article will be updated throughout the day to track all major roster moves for each team in the league. Be sure to check back frequently and bookmark this page to stay up to date with all major NFL roster moves leading up to the 2024 regular season!

Arizona Cardinals

Desmond Ridder, QB

Cardinals released offseason addition Desmond Ridder, whom the team traded wide receiver Rondale Moore for in a deal with Atlanta earlier in the year. Ridder was beaten out by former fifth-round quarterback Clayton Tune. The release of Ridder leaves the team with only two quarterbacks on the roster, something that could change before the regular season begins in under two weeks.

Atlanta Falcons

No significant roster cuts at this time.

Baltimore Ravens

Keaton Mitchell, RB (PUP)

Second year running back Keaton Mitchell remains on the PUP list, marking a minimum four-game absence. He is expected to be out longer than the minimum stay, leaving room for Justice Hill to cement his status at the primary change of pace and backup to starter Derrick Henry.

Buffalo Bills

No significant roster cuts at this time.

Carolina Panthers

Jonathon Brooks, RB (PUP)

The team was reportedly unsure whether to keep Jonathon Brooks on PUP, initially debating between two and three missed games to start his rookie year. They ultimately decided to keep the promising rookie on PUP, meaning he will miss the first four games of the Panthers’ regular season. Head coach Dave Canales also previously stated that he will bring Brooks on slowly once he does reach the field, likely indicating an additional two-to-four-week ramp-up timeline. The Panthers have a late bye week this season in Week 11, making it within the range of outcomes for Brooks to not see a full workload until Week 12. In his stead, Chuba Hubbard is expected to be the primary running back with Miles Sanders also on hand to serve in a change of pace role.

Chicago Bears

No significant roster cuts at this time.

Cincinnati Bengals

No significant roster cuts at this time.

Cleveland Browns

Nick Chubb, RB (PUP); D’Onta Foreman, RB

As expected, running back Nick Chubb starts the 2024 regular season on the PUP list after suffering a catastrophic knee injury in 2023. He will miss the first four games of the regular season, at minimum. The team also released running back D’Onta Foreman, leaving only Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong as active running backs on the roster. The team could still bring back Foreman to the practice squad and activate him on game day via standard elevation three times. This is a fluid situation early in the season.

Also, Cleveland elected to keep four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, which hints at significant uncertainty regarding their quarterback position - most notably, the health of presumed franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson. It would not make sense for any team to carry four quarterbacks under normal circumstances. I think it's prudent to start considering the very real possibility that Watson's "general arm soreness" is much more significant than initially reported.

Dallas Cowboys

Peyton Hendershot, TE

Cowboys traded tight end Peyton Hendershot to the Chiefs for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2026. Jake Ferguson is firmly entrenched as a legitimate top 10 option at the position for an offense that is likely to challenge for the most pass attempts in the league.

Denver Broncos

Tim Patrick, WR; Samaje Perine, RB

The Broncos released veterans Tim Patrick and Samaje Perine after reportedly seeking a trade partner for both. The release of Patrick solidifies the top three wide receivers from 11-personnel as Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds, and Marvin Mims, with Devaughn Vele and Troy Franklin serving as depth. The running back pecking order should stand as Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, then Audric Estime, with Williams a likely draft day steal at his current valuation.

Detroit Lions

No significant roster cuts at this time.

Green Bay Packers

AJ Dillon, RB (IR)

Packers placed running back AJ Dillon on injured reserve with a neck injury, ending his season. In a shocking twist, rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd avoided both the PUP and IR and is reportedly "fine." Lloyd immediately steps into one of the most valuable backup roles in the league behind starter Josh Jacobs.

Houston Texans

Noah Brown, WR; Nick Bawden, FB

Noah Brown is a surprise cut from the Texans after performing well when called upon in 2023. The offseason addition of wide receiver Stefon Diggs and the presence of viable youth at the position simply made the veteran journeyman expendable on cut day. Nico Collins and Tank Dell join Diggs as the unquestioned starting wide receivers for the Texans, with Xavier Hutchinson and John Metchie III likely the first two receivers off the bench.

The Texans also released all three fullbacks that were with them in camp, potentially hinting at a shift to heavier rates of 11-personnel usage after the offseason signing of Diggs. This is good news for Tank Dell’s chances of remaining on the field at elevated rates.

Indianapolis Colts

Jelani Woods, TE (IR)

The veteran tight end recently underwent surgery on his toe and will now miss the entirety of the 2024 regular season. The Colts are expected to utilize a loose rotation at tight end in Jelani Woods’ absence, with all of Kylen Granson, Mo Alie-Cox, and Drew Ogletree likely leading the charge and sharing snaps at the position. No tight end on the roster should be treated as a viable option in fantasy drafts of all kinds.

Jacksonville Jaguars

No significant roster cuts at this time.

Kansas City Chiefs

Irv Smith, TE; Kadarius Toney, WR; Justyn Ross, WR

Tight end Irv Smith and wide receiver Justyn Ross were released by the Chiefs while wide receiver Kadarius Toney was waived. The team recently re-signed wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who spent time with the Chiefs in 2022. The recent additions of rookie Xavier Worthy and veteran Hollywood Brown left no room for the failed former first-round Toney, with Worthy the likeliest candidate to serve as the primary kick returner. The release of Smith likely indicates a level of comfort for soon-to-be Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce’s health and conditioning, keeping him in the upper echelon at the position for fantasy purposes.

Las Vegas Raiders

No significant roster cuts at this time.

Los Angeles Chargers

Isaiah Spiller, RB; Donald Parham, TE

The Chargers released running back Isaiah Spiller and tight end Donald Parham. Rookie running back Kimani Vidal should force his way into early-season third-down and pass-blocking usage as the best pure pass protector on the roster in the backfield. Recent additions Will Dissly and Hayden Hurst are likely to form some form of rotation at the tight end position. Vidal presents the clearest path to upside of the players remaining that fall into the “speculation bucket.”

Los Angeles Rams

Tyler Higbee, TE (PUP)

As expected, the Rams elected to keep Tyler Higbee on the PUP list to start the regular season. The veteran tight end tore his ACL and MCL in the team’s playoff loss to the Lions last season and does not yet have a timeline for an expected return to the field. The team signed veteran tight end Colby Parkinson to a three-year, $22.5 million contract this offseason and current expectations have him filling the primary tight end role for most of the season for an offense that led the league in 11-personnel a year ago. The heavy rates of three-wide receiver sets typically requires a single tight end to remain on the field for most of the snaps, giving Parkinson a solid shot at fantasy relevancy in 2024.

Miami Dolphins

Odell Beckham Jr., WR (PUP)

Dolphins elected to keep wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on the PUP list. The veteran will miss the first four games of the regular season, at minimum. This transaction clears the way for electric rookie sixth-round wide receiver Malik Washington to begin the season as a starter from 11-personnel. If looking only at the personnel usage rates of the Dolphins from 2023, that distinction might not matter; however, the Dolphins increased their 11-personnel usage rates more than any other team this preseason as compared to the 2023 preseason. Consider Washington a nice sleeper candidate in deep leagues and best ball drafts.

Minnesota Vikings

T.J. Hockenson, TE (PUP)

As expected, T.J. Hockenson will remain on PUP and miss the first four games of the regular season, at minimum. The timing of his torn ACL in 2023 hinted at this as the likeliest scenario. The Vikings have no true pass-catching tight end on the roster in the meantime, meaning additional receiving work is likely to land on Justin Jefferson and second-year wide receiver Jordan Addison, although Jalen Nailor had an excellent camp and preseason and appears primed to step up in the meantime as well.

New England Patriots

No significant roster cuts at this time.

New Orleans Saints

Kendre Miller, RB (IR, designated for return)

Kendre Miller continues his trend of injuries into 2024 and will now start the season on injured reserve. The Saints are likely to start the season with Alvin Kamara as the primary back, Jamaal Williams as the primary change of pace and short yardage back, and Taysom Hill as a mismatch component that will likely see a handful of carries per game.

New York Giants

Allen Robinson, WR

Giants released veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson, a move that was largely written on the wall after the team drafted Malik Nabers early in the first round. Expect Nabers to be joined by veteran Darius Slayton and slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson in the starting lineup out of 11-personnel. Second-year receiver Jalin Hyatt is also on hand but is likely to serve as a rotational piece from unique alignments. Hyatt lacks a robust route tree and runs mostly corner routes, post routes, and go routes. It will be difficult to trust any pass-catcher on this team outside of Nabers considering quarterback Daniel Jones has yet to pass for more than 3,205 yards during his five-year NFL career.

New York Jets

No significant roster cuts at this time.

Philadelphia Eagles

No significant roster cuts at this time.

Pittsburgh Steelers

No significant roster cuts at this time.

San Francisco 49ers

Elijah Mitchell, RB (IR)

In a surprise turn, 49ers placed running back Elijah Mitchell on season-ending injured reserve. Jordan Mason appears entrenched as the primary backup to the league’s top running back in Christian McCaffrey.

Seattle Seahawks

Dee Eskridge, WR

The Seahawks released veteran wide receiver/kick returner Dee Eskridge. The former second-round draft pick carved out a significant special teams role which now appears to land on the recently acquired Laviska Shenault’s shoulders. Expect Shenault to operate as the primary kick returner in the coming season.