When NFL teams trim their rosters to 53 players this weekend, most of the casualties will be journeyman backups, undrafted free agents and other youngsters who have not yet latched on with a franchise. But every year, a few big names get thrown into that category, too. Late-career veterans seeking one more season before hanging up their cleats are often just as vulnerable as unheralded first-year professionals.
When former Pro Bowlers fail to make the cut in the coming days, they may still have chances to sign elsewhere and go out on their own terms. And when former first-round picks receive bad news, perhaps another team will take a shot on them, hoping to unlock the breakout season that eluded them in the opening years of what were supposed to be illustrious careers. Roster cutdown season is no fun for anyone, but for these big-name veterans, it may be especially difficult to come to terms with the fact that their football days could be nearing an end.
Here are 20 notable veterans at risk of being cut. The path for Odell Beckham Jr. to appear in regular-season games for the Giants for the first time since 2018 became clearer Tuesday when Calvin Austin III sustained a serious knee injury. It is still an uphill battle for the three-time Pro Bowler to stay on the right side of the cut line, especially since he is far from the same receiver who starred early in his career in New York.
At 33 and nearly two years removed from his last NFL snap, he might not have much more to give. It would be excellent theater, though, for Beckham to close his career with one more season where it all began. Evan Neal did not stick at tackle, where he arrived as the No. 7 overall pick in 2022.
Instead, he is seeking to remake himself as a guard. The Giants declined the option in his rookie contract, but he ended up re-signing with them on a veteran minimum deal this spring. His value has tanked, and there is a new coaching staff in place, so it is entirely possible that Neal goes from a highly touted potential cornerstone tackle to an afterthought on the interior in just four years.
The unretirement tour continues for Darren Waller. Will it carry into the regular season, though? He joined the Panthers during training camp as another option in a tight end group that disappointed in 2025, but he does not bring much upside himself as a 34-year-old whose best season is now six years in the rearview.
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