NFL teams trimmed their rosters to 53 players on Sunday, and that sent hundreds of players onto the Nfl Waiver Wire with the claiming window now open through Monday at 1 p.m. ET. The Las Vegas Raiders hold the top waiver priority, so they are first in line if one of the available players draws a claim.
That matters because the waiver order is not random. It is set by the 2025 regular-season standings, which means the first team with a shot at a player is the one at the front of that order, not the one that needs him most. For teams looking to patch depth after cutdown day, the waiver wire is the cleanest way to do it before the season starts.
Among the more notable names is Bralyn Lux, who was waived by the Bengals on Sunday after playing almost exclusively at nickel for their defense this preseason. He also had a kickoff coverage tackle this weekend, a reminder that special teams play can carry real weight when teams are sorting through the final cuts. Lux is part of the group that now has to clear waivers because he has three or fewer accrued seasons.
That is where the line between released and available starts to matter. Players with four or more accrued seasons would have become free agents immediately and could sign anywhere, but Lux and others in his class must sit in the waiver process first. The result is a short, leaguewide sorting period in which every claim has to fit both the player’s resume and the order that came out of Sunday’s roster trim.
The big board also includes players whose preseason work made them stand out for different reasons. Gushiken can play nickel and safety and flashed as a coverage player, especially at gunner. Jones worked at both left tackle and right tackle in the preseason and is viewed as the best swing tackle option on the waiver wire. Putnam logged 43 snaps in extended action in Week 2 and another 10 snaps in Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers, giving evaluators a fuller look before the cutdown.
For now, the only certainty is the clock. Teams have until Monday at 1 p.m. ET to make their claims, and once that window closes, the waiver wire clears into whatever is left unclaimed. The players who survive it will be free to choose their next stop.
