2025 NFL Roster Cuts: Who Were The Top Players Released?

A lot of NFL players are hitting the waiver wire and could soon become free agents. 

The NFL's annual roster cutdown took place on Tuesday, with 32 teams each paring their rosters from the offseason swell of 90 players to 53. That means 1,184 players were either cut or placed on injured reserve as teams prepare for the season ahead.

Starting Wednesday at noon ET, each NFL team can begin bringing players back for its 16-player practice squad — that's 512 new jobs. But first, we'll take a look at the biggest names that didn't make today's cuts. Keep in mind, about 30 players each year are claimed from initial cuts and land jobs on a new team's roster, which in turn means another 30 players are out of jobs.

Here are 15 of the biggest names let go on Tuesday:

Estime turns 22 next week, so there's still upside to the 2024 fifth-round pick from Notre Dame. He rushed for 310 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie in Denver last year. Rookie RJ Harvey and veteran J.K. Dobbins should be the top two backs in Denver, but Estime could get claimed as an inexpensive depth piece for a team needing a complementary back.

Robert Woods wasn't able to keep a roster spot with the Steelers. (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images)

Woods' role has steadily diminished in recent years — his touchdowns over the last five years are 6, 4, 2, 1 and 0. But he had 20 catches for 203 yards with the Houston Texans last year, and looked like a veteran presence for Aaron Rodgers to throw to in Pittsburgh. He was inexpensive on a one-year, $2 million deal and would logically be even cheaper for a team looking for experience at receiver.

"Tommy Cutlets" is almost a celebrity quarterback. Beloved for a 2023 win over Washington, where he threw for 246 yards and