NFL Cutdown Day: How Waivers Work and Where the Chiefs Sit
Claims are due at 1 PM ET Monday, August 31 — just under 24 hours after the Sunday cutdown deadline. Here's what fantasy managers should track.
Freshly cut names hit free agency after waivers clear Monday afternoon.
- Waiver claims due 1 PM ET Monday, August 31
- Cutdown deadline falls Sunday, roughly 24 hours prior
- Under 4 credited seasons = subject to waivers
- 4+ credited seasons = vested vet, instant free agent
- Credited season = 3+ games on active/IR/PUP
Roster cutdown weekend is here, and the real chaos starts Monday. NFL teams must submit their waiver claims by 1 PM ET on Monday, August 31 — a window that opens less than 24 hours after Sunday's official cutdown deadline. Once claims process shortly after noon Arrowhead time, everyone who clears becomes a free agent, eligible to sign to a practice squad or a 53-man roster elsewhere.
This is the single busiest talent-shuffle of the calendar outside the draft, and understanding the mechanics tells you which names actually hit the open market. Not every released player travels the same path — the rulebook splits them into two buckets, and that distinction decides how quickly a guy can land somewhere new.
The Two Types of Cut Players
Players with fewer than four credited seasons are subject to waivers, meaning other teams can claim them in priority order before they ever become free agents. Players with four or more credited seasons are treated as vested veterans — they skip waivers entirely and become free agents the moment they're released, free to sign wherever they choose.
A quick note on terminology, because the league loves overlapping jargon. A credited season isn't the same as an accrued season. Accrued seasons determine free-agency status (UFA, RFA, ERFA). A credited season is earned when a player spends three or more regular-season games on an active, inactive, IR or PUP roster — or receives an injury settlement equal to three-plus games.
The Fantasy Angle
Cutdown day rarely moves your draft board directly, but it's where depth-chart clarity lives. A veteran running back or slot receiver getting waived can open a path for someone already on your roster, and a surprise claim can bury a late-round flier you were banking on. The vested-vet free agents are the ones to monitor hardest — they can sign fast and change a backfield or route tree overnight.
Our advice for the next 48 hours: don't panic-add, but stay glued to the transaction feed. Track which teams lose bodies at the positions you're thin at, and be ready to move on any cut veteran who lands somewhere with a clear runway. The waiver dust settles Monday afternoon — that's your cue to pounce, not before.
