Updated Monday, August 31, 2026.
When two teams claim the same player, the tie is broken by waiver priority. Las Vegas sits at the top for the opening weeks of the 2026 season, which means the Raiders win any claim they file — nobody can outbid them.
The Top of the Order
| Priority | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Las Vegas Raiders |
| 2 | New York Jets |
| 3 | Arizona Cardinals |
| 4 | Tennessee Titans |
| 5 | New York Giants |
| 6 | Cleveland Browns |
| 7 | Washington Commanders |
| 8 | New Orleans Saints |
| 9 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 10 | Cincinnati Bengals |
Priority runs the full 32 teams, mirroring the 2026 NFL Draft order.
How the Order Is Set
For the first three weeks of the regular season, waiver priority is identical to the previous draft order — which is itself based on the prior season’s records. From Week 4 onward it resets weekly to reverse order of current-season record, so a struggling team climbs the list as the year goes on.
The practical effect is that the worst teams get first refusal on discarded talent, which is the point.
What Priority Actually Buys You
Holding the top spot guarantees you any player you file for. Las Vegas demonstrated it on cutdown Monday, claiming defensive back Darrell Luter Jr. from San Francisco with no possibility of being outbid.
It does not oblige you to use it. Of the top five clubs in the order — Las Vegas, the Jets, Arizona, Tennessee and the Giants — only the Jets and Titans filed any claims at all on the first waiver day of the season.
A claim is also not free. The claiming club inherits the player’s contract in full and must place him on the 53-man roster immediately, which forces a corresponding release. Miami claimed seven players on Monday and had to cut seven others to fit them.
When Order Doesn’t Matter
Waivers only apply to players with fewer than four accrued seasons. Anyone with four or more is released outright rather than waived, becoming a free agent immediately — and any team can sign him regardless of where it sits in the order.
That distinction is why some of the best players available on cut weekend never appear on a waiver report at all. Our vested veteran explainer covers the four-season threshold, and the waiver claims tracker has this year’s results.
The Bottom Line
The Raiders hold the No. 1 waiver priority for the first three weeks of 2026, followed by the Jets, Cardinals, Titans and Giants. The order mirrors the 2026 draft order until Week 4, when it switches to reverse order of current-season record and starts changing every week.