NFL waiver wire explained: The rules, deadline, and team order after cutdown day

Cutdown day is over, and once again, several big names are looking for new teams to call home.

The quality of the available talent in 2025 makes NFL waivers, the system that allows teams to claim players, even more important this year.

Here’s how waivers work, when they happen, and where each team ranks in the priority order.

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What are NFL waivers, which players qualify, and which do not?

Waivers determine how players who have been waived can be claimed.

Any player with fewer than four accrued NFL seasons is subject to waivers.

The NFL defines an “accrued season” as six or more games on a roster, physically unable to perform list (PUP), or injured reserve (IR).

Upon being waived, any players who meet this criteria are placed on the waiver wire. Typically, players are on the waiver wire for 24 hours.

Players who have accrued at least four seasons, loosely referred to as veterans in some circles, are not subject to waivers.

These veterans are outright released, free to sign with any team immediately, and sometimes even rejoin their previous team.

If a team claims a player off waivers, they inherit that player’s current contract.

When do the first waivers occur after cutdown day 2025?

Teams have until Wednesday, August 27, at 5pm BST / noon ET to submit waiver claims.

At that time, the NFL processes all claims and awards the player to the team that has submitted a claim for them.

What happens if multiple teams submit a claim for the same player?

The NFL waiver order is a priority list that decides which team gets a waived player if more than one team submits a claim. In that scenario, the team highest in the waiver order is awarded the player.

For the first waivers following cutdown day, and the first three weeks of the season, the order is based on that year’s original NFL Draft order. Trades and forfeited picks are not taken into account.

The NFL waiver system isn’t like fantasy football - teams don’t rise or fall after each claim. The team holding the top spot can be awarded every player they have claimed, subject to the priorities and limitations they have submitted to the NFL as part of the process.

What is the current team waiver order?

1. Tennessee Titans
2. Cleveland Browns
3. New York Giants
4. New England Patriots
5. Jacksonville Jaguars
6. Las Vegas Raiders
7. New York Jets
8. Carolina Panthers
9. New Orleans Saints
10. Chicago Bears
11. San Francisco 49ers
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. Miami Dolphins
14. Indianapolis Colts
15. Atlanta Falcons
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Cincinnati Bengals
18. Seattle Seahawks
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Denver Broncos
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Los Angeles Chargers
23. Green Bay Packers
24. Minnesota Vikings
25. Houston Texans
26. Los Angeles Rams
27. Baltimore Ravens
28. Detroit Lions
29. Washington Commanders
30. Buffalo Bills
31. Kansas City Chiefs
32. Philadelphia Eagles

What happens to players who are unclaimed from waivers?

When a player isn’t claimed off waivers, they are considered to have “cleared waivers” and are free to sign with any team.

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