The 11 biggest NFL veterans released on (or leading up to) cut-down day

The NFL is a brutal place. With only 22 players on the field at a time, competition for spots is fierce. There’s always someone waiting to take your place, even if you’re a future Hall of Famer.

That’s never more evident than on cut-down day — the date on the league calendar when teams have to separate wheat from chaff in order to go from 80 players to the 53-man limit they’ll stick to through the regular season. After weeks of practices and a handful of preseason games, veterans and prospects on the roster bubble had their fates (mostly) decided by 3 p.m. ET on August 30.

For some of these players, it will be the end of their NFL careers. Others will sweat out a brief stay on the waiver wire before either being claimed or signing elsewhere — and taking someone else’s roster spot. Either way, these are the most notable names to be released in the lead-up to — and on — the 2022 NFL roster cut-down day.