2024 NFL Waiver Order
Waiver claims can begin coming in at 11am CT. While the waiver order will depend on 2024 records in several weeks, teams’ 2023 finishes currently determine it. Here is how the waiver priority list stacks up heading into today’s round of claims:
- Carolina Panthers
- Washington Commanders
- New England Patriots
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Chargers
- New York Giants
- Tennessee Titans
- Atlanta Falcons
- Chicago Bears
- New York Jets
- Minnesota Vikings
- Denver Broncos
- Las Vegas Raiders
- New Orleans Saints
- Indianapolis Colts
- Seattle Seahawks
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Los Angeles Rams
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Miami Dolphins
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Cleveland Browns
- Dallas Cowboys
- Green Bay Packers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Houston Texans
- Buffalo Bills
- Detroit Lions
- Baltimore Ravens
- San Francisco 49ers
- Kansas City Chiefs
Bears Drop Roster To 53
The Bears have set their initial 53-man roster. Here is the full breakdown of the moves they made on Tuesday ahead of the cutdown deadline in addition to releasing veteran quarterback Brett Rypien:
Released:
- FB Khari Blasingame
- WR Collin Johnson
- TE Stephen Carlson
- OL Aviante Collins
- DL Byron Cowart
- CB Greg Stroman
- S Adrian Colbert
- S Tarvarius Moore
Waived:
- QB Austin Reed
- TE Brenden Bates
- OL Theo Benedet
- OL Jake Curhan
- DL Jamree Kromah
- DL Dashaun Mallory
- LB Micah Baskerville
- DL Carl Jones Jr.
- DB Leon Jones
- DB Reddy Steward
- DB Ro Torrence
- LS Cameron Lyons
- P Corliss Waitman
Placed on IR:
- WR Dante Pettis
Placed on IR (designated for return):
- OL Larry Borom
- DE Jacob Martin
With Rypien out of the picture, it will be interesting to see if Reed is kept the organization with a practice squad deal. For the time being, Chicago’s only passers are Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent. It comes as no surprise those two were kept on the 53-man roster, of course, but it neither Rypien nor Reed are available in the next few days, the Bears will be in the market for a depth addition.
Waitman was one of two punters in place during the offseason, so the decision to cut him means fourth-round rookie Tory Taylor has won the gig. Waitman, 29, played for the Steelers in 2021 and the Broncos the following season. He led the NFL in punts during his full campaign in Denver, but he did see any regular season action in 2023. Waitman signed a futures deal in the winter, the Taylor selection suggested he would need to find a new home once roster cuts took place.
Borom and Martin were not named to the initial 53-man roster, per a new role for 2024. Teams may designate two players to return from IR before naming their rosters, although they are still required to miss at least the first four games of the season. In Pettis’ case, on the other hand, today’s move confirms he will be sidelined for the entire campaign.
Bears To Release QB Brett Rypien
The Bears’ quarterback hierarchy appeared set. At least, the team’s Nos. 1 and 2 spots did. One of the other options on Chicago’s roster entering cut day, Brett Rypien, will not be part of the team’s 53-man edition this afternoon.
Rypien received word he will be released, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. After four Broncos seasons, the former UDFA has become a journeyman. He has bounced from the Rams to the Seahawks to the Jets to the Bears in less than a year. Rypien is a vested veteran and will head straight to free agency.
Rypien, Caleb Williams and Austin Reed arrived as newcomers this offseason, as the Bears revamped their QB room. As the team builds around the No. 1 overall pick, its Justin Fields backup — Tyson Bagent — remains in its plans. The former Division II standout is on track to remain Chicago’s backup.
Adding Rypien on a one-year, $1.13MM deal, the Bears did not guarantee the former Broncos QB2 anything. Rypien, 28, would profile as a third-string option somewhere — especially now that the NFL’s attempt at changing the emergency third QB rule failed. Teams are no longer allowed to elevate a third-string quarterback an unlimited number of times, which stands to factor into clubs’ decisions today. Reed remains on the Bears’ roster, though it would be interesting if the team’s QB room consisted of two rookies and a 2023 UDFA from Division II.
The Rams released Rypien after he struggled in a start against the Packers, leading to Carson Wentz‘s re-emergence. Rypien has made four career starts, two of those in relief of Russell Wilson in 2022. He is 2-2 as a starter, carrying a 58.3% completion rate and just a 5.7 yards-per-attempt number. The Seahawks added Rypien to their practice squad following his Rams release, and the Jets reunited him with Nathaniel Hackett by signing him to their active roster weeks later.
Bears Waive 9 Players
The Bears, like everyone else, are working their way from 90 to 53 players this preseason. Bears senior writer Larry Mayer reported the latest roster cuts earlier today:
Waived:
- T Ja’Tyre Carter
- OL Jerome Carvin
- DL Michael Dwumfour
- DL Jaylon Hutchings
- WR John Jackson
- S Quindell Johnson
- WR Peter LeBlanc
- LB Paul Moala
- LB Javin White
Of note from this list is Carter, a seventh-round draft pick out of Southern in 2022. In Carter’s two season with the Bears, he has started two of 13 game appearances. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 notes that there’s expected to be significant interest in Carter on the waiver wire.
Johnson is the only other one of the nine to appear in regular season action. As a reserve defensive back last year, he appeared in nine contests, even notching an interception in a garbage time loss to the Chiefs.
Contract Details: Moore, McPherson, Froholdt
Here are some details on recent contracts from across the league:
- D.J. Moore, WR (Bears): Four years, $110MM. Per OvertheCap.com, Moore’s deal includes $43.65MM guaranteed at signing, consisting partially of a $20MM signing bonus. The signing bonus will be spread out over the next five years. After getting paid $3MM in 2024, Moore will receive base salaries after that of $20.65MM in 2025 and $23.49MM in the remaining four years. Also, after this season, Moore will not have a cap hit lower than $24.5MM. From 2026 to through 2029, Moore will earn per game active roster bonuses of $45K for a potential season total of $765K.
- Evan McPherson, K (Bengals): Three years, $14MM. After some initial numbers were reported when McPherson’s extension was announced, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 provided a few more details on his three-year deal. the initial report listed the potential max payout to be $16.5MM, but Wilson notes that number to be $17.56MM. He received a $5MM option after the signing bonus and will see another $2.5MM option bonus in the future. His base salaries for the next for seasons will be $1.06MM, $2.4MM, $2.8MM, and $3.5MM. According to Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer, McPherson claimed that he preferred the shorter three-year deal because it would give him another opportunity for a third contract while he’s still relatively young.
- Hjalte Froholdt, C (Cardinals): Two years, $12MM. Of the $8MM in guarantees that were initially reported, $7.25MM of that is fully guaranteed, per Howard Balzer of CardsWire. The remaining $750K is guaranteed for injury as part of Froholdt’s 2025 base salary and will become fully-guaranteed if he is still on the roster by the fifth day of the 2025 league year. Wilson lets us know that $4MM of those guarantees comes in the form of a signing bonus and that the deal has a potential maximum value of $14.75MM.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/24
Saturday’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Placed on IR: WR Nsimba Webster, RB Ian Wheeler
- Waived (injury designation): S Douglas Coleman, DL Keith Randolph
- Released: TE Tommy Sweeney
Miami Dolphins
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Willie Snead
Bears To Acquire DT Chris Williams From Browns
The Bears are not done augmenting their defensive line situation. A day after obtaining edge rusher Darrell Taylor from the Seahawks, the team turned to an AFC North depth chart for another solution up front.
Cleveland is sending defensive tackle Chris Williams to Chicago, The Athletic’s Adam Jahns reports. This is a pick-swap trade, with the Bears receiving Williams and a 2025 seventh-rounder and the Browns collecting a sixth. The 2025 sixth originally came from the Dolphins, Jahns adds.
This late-August period has doubled as a trade window for a while, as teams prepare to set their 53-man rosters. The Bears will use it to reunite Williams with Matt Eberflus. The Colts initially signed Williams as a 2020 UDFA, doing so during Eberflus’ time as Indianapolis’ DC. This should bring scheme familiarity for the practice squad veteran, who played in 13 games as a Colts backup from 2021-22.
The Bears have now made five trades involving veteran players this offseason. They obtained Ryan Bates from the Bills, landed Keenan Allen from the Chargers, sent Justin Fields to the Steelers, dealt for Taylor and have now brought in D-tackle help. Williams, who did not see regular-season time in 2023, has played only 107 career defensive snaps. The former UDFA may still not be a roster lock for the Bears. But this trade suggests the team wanted to get ahead of the waiver process to obtain a player familiar with Eberflus’ defense.
Williams, 26, signed a reserve/futures deal with the Browns in January but may have been likely to see an AFC team cut him once again. Williams went to camp with the Chiefs in 2023, failing to make the Super Bowl champions’ 53-man roster before eventually landing on the Browns’ P-squad to close out last season. The Browns have some established vets at D-tackle, re-signing Shelby Harris and Maurice Hurst and adding Quinton Jefferson to go with Dalvin Tomlinson. Cleveland also used a second-round pick on Michael Hall, providing a presumptive roadblock for Williams toward the 53-man roster.
Williams will join 2023 Day 2 picks Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens at DT, along with veteran Andrew Billings, at DT with Chicago. Pickens has missed recent time due to injury, with the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs also expecting veteran Byron Cowart to make the roster. Saturday’s trade stands to adjust this calculus. The team did not draft a D-tackle, instead trading back into this year’s draft for D-end Austin Booker. Williams profiles as a depth piece, but it is clear the Bears were dissatisfied with their D-line as the preseason wound down.
Bears Acquire Darrell Taylor From Seahawks
The Bears are set to make a veteran addition along the edge via trade. Darrell Taylor is on his way from Seattle to Chicago, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. The Seahawks will receive a 2025 sixth-round pick in return per the terms of the trade, which is now official. 
On Thursday, Seattle moved on from one veteran defender by dealing cornerback Michael Jackson to the Panthers. That trade netted seventh-round rookie linebacker Michael Barrett, and today’s move has likewise seen an experienced contributor sent elsewhere in the NFC with the future in mind. Taylor has one year remaining on his contract. This deal will see the Bears take on his $3.12MM base salary after the Seahawks already paid out a $20K signing bonus.
The 27-year-old missed his entire rookie campaign but has been a rotational presence off the edge for each of the past three years. Taylor has started 11 games since 2021, logging snap shares between 44% and 46% during that span. His best season came in 2022, when he totaled 9.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. His production took a step back last year (5.5 sacks), but Taylor still found himself in Seattle’s plans via the one-year agreement which took the place of an RFA tender.
With that said, the Seahawks were open to trading the former second-rounder in advance of the 2023 deadline. The season-ending injury suffered by Uchenna Nwosu changed that stance and led to Taylor remaining in place to close out the campaign. Moving forward, Nwosu, along with recent second-round selections Boye Mafe and Derick Hall will be leaned on heavily along the edge by Seattle.
From the Bears’ perspective, this move comes as little surprise. Montez Sweat is in place as the anchor of the team’s edge rush, but adding a proven complementary option has long been mentioned as an offseason priority. Talks with Yannick Ngakoue – who played on a one-year Bears pact in 2023 – have taken place. Chicago was also a finalist in the Matt Judon trade, offering a third-round pick for the four-time Pro Bowler. That matched the value of the Falcons’ offer, and Judon was reportedly given the choice between Atlanta and Chicago. After coming up short on those fronts, Taylor will head to the Windy City set up for at least a part-time role.
Chicago also has the likes of DeMarcus Walker, Dominique Robinson, Khalid Kareem and fifth-round rookie Austin Booker in place behind Sweat on the depth chart. Taylor – who has 50 combined regular and postseason games and 21.5 sacks to his name – represents an intriguing addition to that group. Questions may remain about the long-term future of the Bears’ non-Sweat edge rushers, but for 2024 Taylor will be a contributor to their front seven. Seattle entered Friday with less than $9MM in cap space, but today’s move will increase that total by more than $3MM. Chicago’s available space will take a hit, though the team will still have over $18MM in available funds with Taylor in the fold.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/23/24
Friday’s minor transactions to wrap up the week:
Carolina Panthers
- Reverted to IR: T Badara Traore
Chicago Bears
- Waived (with injury settlement): DE Khalid Kareem
- Released (with injury settlement): WR Freddie Swain
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: K Lucas Havrisik
Detroit Lions
- Released (with injury settlement): LB Malik Jefferson
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived (with injury settlement): G Josh Sills
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived (with injury settlement): WR Jaaron Hayek
Minnesota Vikings
- Reverted to IR: TE Trey Knox
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Andrew Dowell, DT Camron Peterson
- Waived (with injury designation): DE Trajan Jeffcoat
- Waived: CB Kaleb Ford-Dement
San Francisco 49ers
- Reverted to IR: S Tayler Hawkins
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Willie Roberts
- Waived (with injury settlement): DT Nathan Pickering
Washington Commanders
- Signed: C Cameron Tom
- Released: C J.C. Hassenauer
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/22/24
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Jakeem Grant
Buffalo Bills
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Bryan Thompson
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from active/PUP list: OL Yosh Nijman
- Signed: LB Aaron Beasley
Chicago Bears
- Signed: WR Peter LeBlanc, RB Jacob Saylors
- Waived/injured: TE Giovanni Ricci
Cleveland Browns
- Reverted to IR: LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle
Dallas Cowboys
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DE Shaka Toney
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DL Keonte Schad
Kansas City Chiefs
- Reverted to IR: WR Jaaron Hayek
Las Vegas Raiders
- Reverted to IR: WR Jeff Foreman
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Isaac Rex
- Waived: DL Micheal Mason
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: RB SaRodorick Thompson
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: RB Mohamed Ibrahim, OL Chuck Filiaga
- Reverted to IR: OL Jeremy Flax, S Najee Thompson
New Orleans Saints
- Reverted to IR: C Sincere Haynesworth
Washington Commanders
- Signed: S Sheldrick Redwine.
Nijman underwent surgery to address a leg injury, and despite Dave Canales indicating the free agency pickup was a ways away from returning, he is back at practice barely a week later. It remains to be seen if Nijman will be able to suit up in Week 1, but he has some time here. The Panthers signed the ex-Packer blocker to be their swing tackle.
Grant will be able to suit up later this season, depending on the terms of the injury settlement. This transaction moves Grant off the Falcons’ roster. The former All-Pro return man has not played since the 2021 season, stacking the odds against him. He is going into what would be an age-32 season.