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How does the waiver wire work, and what does it mean for the Patriots?
TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 9: A detailed view of an official Wilson NFL football on the grass field during an NFL football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New England Patriots at Raymond James Stadium on November 9, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a preseason showdown against the Cleveland Browns, the New England Patriots will begin cutting down their 90-man roster. The team needs to make 37 moves ahead of the NFL’s deadline on Sunday, Aug. 30, at 6 p.m. ET. A majority of those personnel changes will come through the most straightforward roster reduction method: cutting players.
However, not all 37 transactions will be the same. The NFL has separate protocols for so-called vested veterans and players with less league experience. Veterans immediately enter the open market as free agents after being released, while the latter must pass through the waiver wire, where they can be claimed by another franchise or enter free agency if unclaimed.
What exactly does all of this mean for a Patriots team with the sixth-best Super Bowl odds in the league, per FanDuel Sportsbook ? Let’s break it down.
What is the NFL waiver wire?
Franchises will make their final preparations before the season, with substantial changes being made to league rosters. Players will either be waived or released, but not all will instantly become free agents and be free to sign with any team.
When a player is “waived,” they are subject to the waiver wire, where any team can claim them and assume their current contract. Currently, the waiver wire order is dependent on the NFL Draft order from this past April, but without any trades.
Teams file waiver claims at the same time. That being said, only the team with the highest claim in the order will successfully pick up the player and their current contract.
Which NFL players are subject to go on waivers and not be released?
A player’s time in the NFL determines whether they enter the waiver wire or become a free agent. Players with at least four years of accrued NFL service time are released. If a player is released, their contract has ended, and they are eligible to sign with any team.
However, if a player has less than four years of service time, they are waived and subject to waiver wire claims. Any player who is not claimed after being waived is eligible to sign wherever they’d like, including their former team’s practice squad.
The group of players being waived primarily consists of those who are not currently eligible for unrestricted free agency status entering the season. They would instead be either an exclusive rights free agent (less than three years of service) or a restricted free agent (three years of service).
Which Patriots cuts are subject to waivers?
In total, 40 of the Patriots’ depth players (not including starters and primary backups, or “roster locks”) will first have to pass through the waiver wire, where they might get claimed by any NFL team, before entering the open market.
QB Mehren Morton
RB Lan Larison
RB Jam Miller
WR Cameron Dorner
WR Kyle Dixon
WR Nick DeGennaro
WR Tejhaun Palmer
TE Tanner Arkin
TE Jack Westover
TE C.J. Dippre
OT Dametrious Crownover
OT Lorenz Metz
OL Jacob Rizy
OL Joseph Michalski
OL Darrian Dalcourt
OL Jack Conley
OL Mehki Butler
OL JonDarius Morgan
DT Eric Gregory
DT Isaiah Iton
DT Jeremiah Pharms Jr.
DT Casey Rogers
DT Leonard Taylor III
ED Bradyn Swinson
ED Xavier Holmes
ED Quintayvious Hutchins
ED Amari Gainer
LB Khalil Jacobs
LB Namdi Obiazor
LB Riley Wilson
CB Karon Prunty
CB Charles Woods
CB Kobee Minor
CB Channing Canada
CB Marcellas Dial Jr.
CB Brandon Crossley
S Dell Pettus
S John Saunders Jr.
S Eric Butler
S Peter Manuma
Which Patriots cuts are not subject to waivers?
Seven of New England’s depth players are vested veterans. If released, they would become free agents as soon as the respective moves were made official, meaning that they would all be free to sign with any team of their choosing.
RB JaMycal Hasty
RB Hassan Haskins
OT James Hudson III
OL Greg Van Roten
LB Chad Muma
LB K.J. Britt
CB Kindle Vildor
What is the NFL waiver order right now?
The NFL waiver order during the preseason and the first three weeks of the regular season mirrors the 2026 NFL Draft order. Once we get through four games, it resets to the current NFL standings. So, the Las Vegas Raiders have the first crack at every player on waivers.
Las Vegas Raiders
New York Jets
Arizona Cardinals
Tennessee Titans
New York Giants
Cleveland Browns
Washington Commanders
New Orleans Saints
Kansas City Chiefs
Cincinnati Bengals
Miami Dolphins
Dallas Cowboys
Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore Ravens
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Indianapolis Colts
Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings
Carolina Panthers
Green Bay Packers
Pittsburgh Steelers
Los Angeles Chargers
Philadelphia Eagles
Jacksonville jaguars
Chicago Bears
Buffalo Bills
Houston Texans
San Francisco 49ers
Los Angeles Rams
Denver Broncos
New England Patriots
Seattle Seahawks
How does the NFL waiver system work?
Let’s assume the 31st-ranked Patriots and 32nd-ranked Seahawks are the two teams to place a claim for a player. He will end up in New England due to the organization’s superior ranking. The team with the lowest bid will always end up with the player.
Teams can add as many players through waivers as they want, but they might have to make corresponding roster moves to fit them on their 53-man team and/or under the salary cap.
Have the Patriots made any moves yet?
In order to stay on top of every transaction involving the Patriots’ roster cutdowns on Sunday, ahead of the waiver claim deadline on Monday, make sure to regularly visit our Patriots roster cut tracker .
PatriotsWhich PatriotsWaiverWilson NFLNFLTampa Bay BuccaneersNew England PatriotsRaymond James StadiumTampaFloridaPhotoKevin Sabitus
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