August 30: Prior to 4:00 p.m. - New York time - clubs must reduce rosters to a
maximum of 53 players on the active/inactive List.
August 30: Simultaneously with the cut-down to 53, teams that have players in the categories of Active/Physically Unable to Perform or Active/Non-Football Injury or Illness must select one of the following options: place the player on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform or Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness (whichever is applicable), request waivers, terminate or trade the players contract, or continue to count the player on the active list. The various designations can be confusing. Over The Cap explains the various designations,
in an article published last year (link).
August 31: The claiming period - for players placed on waivers at the final roster reduction - will expire at 12:00 noon, New York time.
August 31: Beginning at 12:00 noon - New York time - teams may establish a
practice squad of 10 players, by signing free agents who do not have an accrued season of free agency credit, or who were on the 46-player active list for less than nine regular season games during each of any accrued seasons. A player cannot serve on the practice squad for more than three seasons. The practice squad is expected to expand from the current 8, to 10 players within the next week.
August 31: Final day of preseason training camp for all clubs, as defined in CBA Article 23, Section 9:
"Section 9. Definition of "Preseason Training Camp": For purposes of this Article, the term "PreseasonTraining Camp" shall be deemed to include the entire period from the beginning of training camp for any player through the last weekend of preseason games played by clubs during the league year in question."
September 2: After 4:00 p.m. - New York time - a club is permitted to place a player on Reserve/Injured as "Designated for Return."
