Last updated: Thursday, August 27, 2026. Claims begin processing Monday, Aug. 31.
Roughly 1,100 players hit the street at Sunday’s cutdown – and Monday at 1 PM ET, the waiver wire sorts out who gets a second chance. Every non-vested player cut this weekend passes through waivers, where all 32 clubs can claim him (contract included) in priority order, worst 2025 records first.
This tracker logs the notable claims as they’re awarded Monday afternoon, alongside the rules that decide them. Bookmark it now – the table fills fast once awards process.
NFL ROSTER TRACKER
NFL Waiver Claims Tracker 2026
Every notable claim from cutdown week – updated as awards process
CLAIMS PROCESS
Mon, Aug 31
1 PM ET – the day after cutdown
WHO’S ELIGIBLE
Non-vested players
Vested veterans skip waivers until the trade deadline
THE PRIORITY
Draft order
Worst 2025 records claim first through Week 3
THE PRIZE
~1,100 cut players
The largest talent release of the NFL year
Waiver claims tracker
Notable claims land here Monday afternoon – this table fills as awards are announced
| Player (Pos) |
Claimed by |
Waived by |
Why it matters |
| Tracking begins Monday, Aug 31 at 1 PM ET |
— |
— |
Claims are awarded in priority order after the 1 PM deadline – the most notable awards will be logged here as they’re reported |
How claim day works
The rules behind Monday’s wire
| Rule |
Detail |
| The 1 PM deadline |
Clubs submit claims silently by Monday 1 PM ET; awards are processed immediately after, in priority order |
| Priority = draft order |
Through Week 3 of the season, claim priority follows the most recent draft order – the league’s worst teams shop first |
| One contract, as-is |
A successful claim assumes the player’s existing contract – no negotiation, no renegotiation, roster spot required |
| Vested vets skip the wire |
Players with four-plus accrued seasons aren’t subject to waivers at cutdown – they become free agents immediately, able to sign anywhere |
| Claimed = on the 53 |
A claimed player lands on the claiming club’s active roster – which usually forces a corresponding cut, and another wire entry |
CLAIM-DAY FACTS
The 24 hours that build practice squads
Players who clear waivers Monday become free agents – and most re-sign to practice squads Tuesday, usually with their original club.
Claims reveal the league’s real board
A team spending its priority on another club’s castoff is a scouting-department opinion made public – watch who claims, not just who’s claimed.
Guarantee structures decide the wire
Cheap rookie-deal players get claimed; anyone with real guaranteed money usually clears – clubs claim contracts as much as players.
What to Watch Monday
Three things decide the day. First, priority position: clubs at the top of the draft order effectively get first pick of everyone else’s cuts, and a team burning its priority is a signal worth reading. Second, contract shape: claims transfer deals as-is, so cheap rookie contracts move while guaranteed money clears untouched. Third, the ripple: every claimed player lands on a 53-man roster that was full an hour earlier, forcing fresh cuts and a second, smaller wave on the wire. The mechanics live in how NFL waivers work and what happens when a player gets cut.
Who Never Hits the Wire
The wire’s biggest absences are structural: vested veteran rules mean players with four-plus accrued seasons become immediate free agents at cutdown rather than waiver-wire entries – free to choose their next team, which is why veteran cuts sign on their own schedule while young players wait on Monday’s awards. The weekend’s full picture runs across our cuts tracker, the initial 53-man rosters tracker, and the practice squad tracker – which fills Tuesday when the unclaimed sign back.
The Bottom Line
Monday 1 PM ET: claims process in draft order, contracts transfer whole, and roughly a thousand careers reroute in an afternoon. This page tracks every notable award as it lands – updated through claim day and the ripple cuts that follow.
