When is the NFL's deadline for teams to cut down roster to 53 players?
The 2021-22 NFL preseason is wrapping up this weekend. NFL teams have until 4 p.m. EST on Tuesday, August 31st, to cut down their roster to the final 53.
The 53-man roster cut is scheduled for four days on the NFL league calendar. That extra time gives NFL teams more time to make trades before the roster-cut dealing. With the 2021-22 NFL season building up a lot of hype, here's a quick look at three teams who have tough decisions to make before Tuesday.
Who are the three NFL teams with tough decisions to make before the cut deadline on August 31st?
#1 Houston Texans
If there's a team that has a hard decision to make before August 31st, it's the Houston Texans. Deshaun Watson remains on the Texans roster, and Houston will have to make a decision on his future. The Texans can do one of two things before Tuesday's cut deadline.
Houston could ramp up trade negotiations for Watson or keep him on the roster until they find the right partner. The realistic outcome is that Watson stays on the Texans roster until the dust settles on his off-the-field issues. Houston will likely move Watson during or before the trade deadline.
#2 Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys will have more than enough time to decide on their quarterback situation. Dallas will need to remove one of its three backups before August 31st. As of right now, it looks like Ben DiNucci is the odd man out in the Cowboys quarterback room.
The Cowboys could also move their star linebacker, Jaylon Smith. That has been rumored throughout the entire offseason, but could potentially happen before the deadline day. Dallas has a lot of decisions to make, and none of them are easy.
#3 Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears decided to name Andy Dalton as the starting quarterback for their Week 1 matchup with the Rams. That decision was not easy after the performances Justin Fields had during the preseason. Dalton may be the starter for Week 1, but his leash is likely to be short.
If the Chicago Bears start the season off 0-2 or even 0-3, Justin Fields will start either Week 3 or 4. Matt Nagy is under a lot of pressure from the Chicago Bears fan base. Nagy has made the best decision for the team by naming Dalton the starter, but now he will have to determine for how long. That means the final cuts will come before the start of the upcoming season.