NFL cut day explainer: How the waiver wire works
Now that we've made our way through every single cut that was made today, it's time to talk about what's up next. Over the next 24 hours, there's going to be a lot action and most of it is going to come on the waiver wire.
So how does the waiver wire work?
Well, I'm glad you asked. We saw 1,184 players get released this weekend, and out of that total, the ones that have four years of NFL experience or less will hit the waiver wire.
The waiver order is the same as the 2026 NFL Draft order, so here are the teams that will have first crack at making claims:
1. Raiders
2. Jets
3. Cardinals
4. Titans
5. Giants
6. Browns
7. Commanders
8. Saints
9. Chiefs
10. Bengals
The Raiders can claim as many players as they want, but if they claim a player, that guy automatically hits their 53-man roster, so they'd also have to release someone to make room for the new guy (If they claimed 8 players, they'd have to release 8 players to make room).
Any team looking to claim a player who was part of the initial cuts will have to turn their claim in by 1 p.m. ET on Monday. If two teams claim the same player, the player will go to the team that has a higher priority in the waiver order (And as I mentioned, the Raiders have priority over everyone since they're at the top of the waiver wire).
If a player clears waivers -- and doesn't get claimed by anyone -- he can re-sign with the team that just released him. Teams will generally go this route if they want to bring a player back as a member of the practice squad.
I hope everyone had fun this weekend! Now, I'm going to go take a nap.





















