Updated Monday, August 31, 2026.
Twenty-nine players were claimed on Monday. Far more were not. Everyone who passed through all 32 clubs untouched is now an unrestricted free agent, free to sign anywhere — and that group is headed by a quarterback taken 33rd overall three years ago.
The Notable Names Who Cleared
| Player | Pos | Waived by | Why it’s notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will Levis | QB | Titans | No. 33 overall in 2023, 21 career starts |
| Jedrick Wills | OT | Bears | Former top-10 pick, multi-year starting left tackle |
| Evan Neal | OL | — | Former first-round offensive lineman |
| Mazi Smith | DT | Jets | No. 26 overall in 2023, acquired in the Quinnen Williams trade |
| Hendon Hooker | QB | Titans | Former Tennessee and Lions quarterback |
| Mark Gronowski | QB | Dolphins | Iowa product cut in Miami’s quarterback overhaul |
| Cam Miller | QB | Dolphins | North Dakota State product, also unclaimed |
Nineteen quarterbacks were waived on Sunday alone. Every player listed here is now an unrestricted free agent.
The Levis Case
Tennessee took Will Levis 33rd overall in 2023 and he started 21 games, completing 61 percent of his passes for 3,899 yards with 21 touchdowns against 26 total turnovers, 16 of them interceptions. His record as a starter was 5-16.
He was unseated by Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick, and then missed last season recovering from shoulder surgery. Tennessee kept Ward and Mitch Trubisky and let Levis go.
The surprise is not the release. It is that all 31 other clubs passed. Adam Schefter reported the outcome Monday afternoon, and Levis is now free to negotiate with anyone.
Why Teams Pass on Good Players
A waiver claim is not a free look. The claiming club inherits the player’s existing contract exactly as written — salary, guarantees and all — and must immediately place him on the 53-man roster, which means releasing somebody else.
Letting a player clear is often the smarter play. Once he is a free agent, a team can negotiate a new deal at a lower number, or sign him to the practice squad at a fraction of the cost. That is why three former first-round picks and a second-round quarterback all went unclaimed on the same afternoon.
It cuts the other way for the player, though. Clearing means losing the guaranteed money in the old contract, and the freedom to choose a destination comes at a price.
What Happens Next
Cleared players fall into two groups. Some will sign practice squad deals, most often with the club that just released them — the standard practice squad wage is $13,750 a week, with a veteran band running considerably higher. Others will wait for an injury elsewhere in the league and sign to an active roster.
For a quarterback with 21 career starts, the practice squad is the likelier first stop, with a promotion whenever somebody gets hurt.
Our waiver claims tracker has the 29 players who were claimed, and our waivers explainer covers the mechanics in full.
The Bottom Line
Will Levis is the headline name to clear waivers in 2026, joined by former first-round picks Jedrick Wills, Evan Neal and Mazi Smith. All are unrestricted free agents able to sign anywhere. Nineteen quarterbacks were waived on cutdown Sunday, and the majority of them went unclaimed.