Steelers Cut P Cameron Johnston, 12 Others
The Steelers started moving on from some players late last week, and they continued the process this afternoon. The team announced the following transactions:
Released:
Waived:
- DL Kyler Baugh
- TE JJ Galbreath
- WR Max Hurleman
- DB D’Shawn Jamison
- OL Steve Jones
- WR Lance McCutcheon
- RB Lew Nichols
- DB Daryl Porter
- LB Mark Robinson
- K Ben Sauls
- LB Julius Welschof
- OL Aiden Williams
Cameron Johnston inked a three-year deal with the Steelers last offseason and was expected to lead the depth chart for the foreseeable future. However, the veteran suffered a knee injury in Week 1 that knocked him out for the rest of the season, allowing Corliss Waitman to secure the punting gig. It appears that Waitman won the competition between the two this preseason, and Johnston will now look to revive his career elsewhere. The team also moved on from kicker Ben Sauls, who always seemed destined to be cut considering Chris Boswell is still kicking around.
Among the team’s other notable cuts are Max Hurleman, who caught a touchdown in Pittsburgh’s preseason opener and was a standout during training camp, and linebackerMark Robinson, who was believed to be competing for a spot on the Steelers defense.
Raiders Cut 18 Players
The Raiders have started trimming down their roster to 53 players. The team announced today that they’ve moved on from 18 players:
Released:
- WR Marquez Callaway
- WR Phillip Dorsett
- WR Collin Johnson
- LB Jaylon Smith
Waived:
- OT Gottlieb Ayedze
- LB Michael Barrett
- DT Tank Booker
- DE Andre Carter II
- S Hudson Clark
- OT Parker Clements
- DT Keondre Coburn
- LB Amari Gainer
- C Jarrod Hufford
- CB John Humphrey
- TE Qadir Ismail
- WR Ketron Jackson Jr.
- DE Jah Joyner
- CB Sam Webb
The Raiders’ wide receivers room has commanded headlines today, as Jakobi Meyers reportedly requested a trade before the team reunited with Amari Cooper. The team’s most notable moves in their initial wave of cuts included a handful of veteran wide receivers.
That grouping includes Phillip Dorsett, who has bounced around the NFL since his stint in New England came to an end several years ago. The veteran had 20 catches in 15 games for the Texans in 2022, but he was limited to only a pair of appearances with the Broncos in 2023. He didn’t get into a game last year. The team also moved on from former Saints standout Marquez Callaway, who has only appeared in five games over the past two years.
On the defensive side of the ball, Jaylon Smith is the biggest name among this grouping of cuts. The former Cowboys standout bounced around the NFL in 2021 before starting 11 of his 13 appearances with the Giants in 2022, a season in which he finished with 88 tackles. He was limited to one game with the Raiders in 2023 before not getting into a regular-season contest in 2024.
Cardinals Waive QB Clayton Tune, 11 Others
The Cardinals took a step towards finalizing their 53-man roster on Monday by waiving 12 players including quarterback Clayton Tune, per a team announcement.
Tune, a 2023 fifth-round pick, began his rookie year as Arizona’s backup quarterback behind Joshua Dobbs with Kyler Murray working his way back from an ACL tear. Dobbs was sent to the Vikings at the trade deadline with Murray still not at 100%, so Tune started in Week 9 and got shut out by the Browns’ top-ranked defense.
The 26-year-old held onto the QB2 job in 2024, but only attempted two passes on the year to bring his career total to 23. This offseason, the Cardinals brought in veteran Jacoby Brissett as a more capable and experienced backup to Murray, and they opted not to carry three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. However, Tune is a strong candidate to be signed to the team’s practice squad as the third-string quarterback.
Tune’s release will leave $86K of dead money on the Cardinals’ salary cap in 2025 and 2026, per OverTheCap. Here are Arizona’s other 11 cuts:
- WR Andre Baccellia
- CB Ekow Boye-Doe
- TE Oscar Cardenas
- OL McClendon Curtis
- CB Steven Gilmore
- DL Patrick Jenkins
- LB Vi Jones
- OL Roy Mbaeteka
- WR Nate McCollum
- OL Dohnovan West
- LB Benton Whitley
Mbaeteka is the only other player of note, as the Nigeria native is eligible to be an extra player on the practice squad via an international exemption. Teams can place claims on waived players until Wednesday, when all claims will be processed. Unclaimed players will then be eligible to sign with any team’s practice squad.
Lions To Waive QB Hendon Hooker, DL Brodric Martin
5:37pm: The 2023 third round did not go well for the Lions. After playing in just five games from 2023-24, Brodric Martin will be waived, per AtoZSports.com’s Mike Payton. Martin and Hooker each have two years left on their rookie deals.
Chosen 96th overall in 2023, Martin played in three rookie-year games and two 2024 contests. He did not see any playoff action. The Lions did use one of their IR activations on Martin, despite an injury-battered season making those rather valuable, but the team has not gotten much from the pick. Martin could be retained on a practice squad deal if he clears waivers.
3:02pm: Technically given three offseasons to take flight, the Lions’ Hendon Hooker is experiment is over. Detroit is waiving the former third-round pick, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports.
Rehabbing a major injury during his first year in Detroit, Hooker has not progressed to the point the Lions have felt comfortable with him as Jared Goff‘s top backup. Discussing the young QB over the weekend, Dan Campbell signaled a separation was likely.
Campbell said a change of scenery would probably benefit the Tennessee alum at this point, and that will happen. Hooker does not appear a candidate for Detroit’s practice squad. Two years remain on his third-round contract. Hooker, 27, is due just more than $1MM in 2025 base salary. That figure is nonguaranteed, but the former Heisman candidate’s shaky Detroit stint may not make it a lock he is claimed. The Lions would eat less than $600K in dead money if Hooker goes unclaimed. The team will know by 11am CT Wednesday if the QB is claimed.
The Lions will give their backup job to Kyle Allen, who signed a one-year, $1.27MM deal this offseason. Although Allen spent last year as the Steelers’ third-stringer, he outplayed Hooker in the preseason after the latter committed five turnovers during Detroit’s exhibition slate. After the Lions reunited with Teddy Bridgewater to close last season, Allen’s arrival brought another challenge for Hooker.
The Bridgewater move came after Hooker did serve as the Lions’ top backup for most of last season. Hooker played in three games, completing 6 of 9 passes for 62 yards. That represents his only NFL game action, as the former Virginia Tech recruit spent most of his rookie year on the Lions’ reserve/NFI list due to the ACL tear sustained in November 2022. Hooker was mentioned as a candidate to be drafted earlier than he was (No. 68), but he has thus far proven skeptics — due partially to a Tennessee offense that brought questions about the formerly productive passer’s transition to the pros — right to this point.
Detroit does not have a third QB on its roster, making it logical the team will pursue one for its practice squad as the emergency option. The Lions carried Goff, Bridgewater and Hooker to close last season. Allen, 29, is now on team No. 6. He has worked as a backup or third-stringer — and fill-in starter, occasionally — in Carolina, Washington, Houston, Buffalo and Pittsburgh.
Allen’s most notable NFL work came in 2019, when he quarterbacked a mediocre Panthers team — Christian McCaffrey‘s historic 1,000-1,000 season notwithstanding — to a 5-7 record in his starts replacing an injured Cam Newton. Allen made two more starts with a bad 2022 Texans squad but has attempted one regular-season pass since 2023. Goff’s durability continues to benefit the Lions, but they will likely replace Hooker soon.
Broncos To Waive RB Audric Estime
The Broncos held a lengthy audition for their running back jobs behind their newly assembled top duo (J.K. Dobbins, R.J. Harvey), and one of the losers in the derby has been revealed.
Denver is waiving second-year back Audric Estime, 9News’ Mike Klis reports. Drafted in the fifth round last year, Estime had been playing behind Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie during the preseason. The Broncos also waived rookie UDFA guard Xavier Truss, per a team announcement.
Even as the Broncos struggled to maximize a good run-blocking O-line last season, Estime could not earn the coaches’ trust to leapfrog Javonte Williams — who had not recaptured his pre-knee-injury form. Williams departed in free agency, but the team added Harvey and then Dobbins.
With McLaughlin still rostered and Badie impressing the team’s coaching staff, Estime had loomed as a likely cut. A practice squad spot could await, but the Notre Dame alum would need to clear waivers — which process at 11am CT Wednesday. The Broncos are indeed interested in retaining Estime on the P-squad, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.
Three years remain on Estime’s rookie contract, but no guaranteed money is left on the deal. Estime is due $960K this season. As a non-vested veteran, Estime will not see that figure guarantee next month. The Broncos will take on barely $250K in dead money.
Last season, Estime produced 310 yards and two touchdowns on 76 carries. Two fumbles proved costly, however, and Sean Payton made Badie — who had missed most of the season due to injury — a gameday active over Estime for Denver’s wild-card game in Buffalo. That proved to be a sign of the coaching staff losing some faith. Estime, who saw a 4.71-second 40-yard dash time at the 2024 Combine ding his draft stock, received a start against the Chargers last December but otherwise came off the bench as a rookie. He will now wait on his next destination.
Clearing up the RB competition, the Broncos are also cutting Blake Watson, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. Watson suffered a PCL strain during Denver’s preseason finale. Trade interest existed for Watson, who spent much of 2024 on the Broncos’ practice squad, so a claim for the second-year UDFA in play. If unclaimed, Watson is also a candidate to land on the Broncos’ practice squad, per Tomasson.
Buccaneers To Release QB Kyle Trask
Teddy Bridgewater‘s Buccaneers deal looks like it will lead to a relocation for the team’s previous backup. Kyle Trask has been informed he will be waived, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.
This will come via an injury settlement or a waived/injured designation, per Fowler, as Trask has dealt with a shoulder issue lately. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes that the shoulder issue is only considered “slight.”
A former second-round pick, Trask has spent his entire professional career in Tampa Bay. His first two campaigns saw him as a deep-depth-chart option behind Tom Brady, and he’s spent the past two years serving as Baker Mayfield‘s primary backup.
Considering his backup status, Trask hasn’t gotten much of a look during the regular season. In total, he’s appeared in seven career games, completing four of his 11 pass attempts for 28 yards. The QB previously showed his ability during his time at Florida, where he tossed 69 touchdowns in 27 games. This included a 2020 season where he threw 48 touchdowns en route to a second-team All-SEC nod.
While Trask can’t point to an extensive NFL resume, he has worked under a pair of former coordinators-turned-coaches in Dave Canales and Liam Coen, so perhaps he could find a gig in either of those spots. Fowler also mentions the Raiders as a potential option considering Trask’s connection to GM John Spytek coupled with Aidan O’Connell‘s recent injury. Temporarily, he may have to settle for a practice squad job.
With the move, Bridgewater has secured his spot as Tampa’s QB2. The organization is also rostering UDFA Connor Bazelak.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Vikings, Jets Still Eyeing WR Addition; Raiders, Steelers Also In Market
With the deadline for roster cuts looming, trades around the league remain a distinct possibility over the coming days. The receiver position could be one to watch closely. 
The Vikings and Jets are still evaluating the WR landscape with respect to trades, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. Last week, Minnesota and New York were among the teams named as suitors on this front, so today’s update comes as no surprise. The Vikings and Jets both face questions about their depth beyond their established No. 1 wideouts.
Garrett Wilson will again lead the way in New York, with free agent addition Josh Reynolds set to play a notable role. Allen Lazard‘s future was a talking point earlier in the offseason given the Aaron Rodgers release, but he is on track to play out this season on a reduced contract. Any receivers brought in will be viewed as depth behind that trio and 2024 third-rounder Malachi Corley.
The Vikings have been connected to an Adam Thielen reunion, and calls have been made to the Panthers about a deal. Nothing is imminent at this point, but the 35-year-old would offer experienced depth behind Justin Jefferson and (when he returns from suspension) Jordan Addison. Minnesota has been busy on the trade front recently, and making an addition at the receiver spot could be the next item on the agenda.
Russini’s report also indicates the Raiders and Steelers are among the potential landing spots for a new wideout. Vegas has witnessed Jakobi Meyers issue a trade request, calling into question his future with the team. The pending free agent is not one the Raiders are looking to move on from, but especially if a swap were to take place an addition could become necessary. Tre Tucker along with rookies Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton are in position to play supporting roles, but further moves could help add a complementary presence to tight end Brock Bowers.
A receiver acquisition has long been talked about in the case of the Steelers this offseason. D.K. Metcalf will lead the way in 2025 and beyond, but the unproven nature of Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson has led to calls for a more established No. 2 option. Multiple free agent visits have taken place with free agent Gabe Davis, but no signing has come about since.
In addition to Davis, Amari Cooper, Tyler Boyd and DJ Chark are among the top unsigned wideouts at this time. Other notable names will no doubt become available over the next 24 hours through trade or cutdowns. A shortlist of teams is worth monitoring as the position’s late-summer landscape takes shape.
Panthers Release K Matthew Wright, Waive 17
The Panthers settled their kicker situation and halved their quarterback depth chart. Here are the first wave of Carolina cuts ahead of Tuesday’s roster-setting deadline:
Released:
Waived:
- QB Jack Plummer
- QB Bryce Perkins
- RB Emani Bailey
- RB Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams
- WR Kobe Hudson
- WR Jacolby George
- WR TJ Luther
- TE Dominique Dafney
- OL Steven Losoya
- OL Luke Kandra
- OLB JJ Weaver
- LB Jacoby Windmon
- CB JaTravis Broughton
- CB Mello Dotson
- CB Tre Swilling
- S Jack Henderson
- S Isaac Gifford
The Wright release leaves rookie UDFA Ryan Fitzgerald as the only kicker on Carolina’s roster. Making a career as a fill-in kicker (save for a full-season 2022 Jaguars stop), Wright has kicked for six teams in games. This was the veteran specialist’s second Panthers stop; he filled in for Eddy Pineiro for a game during the 2023 season.
The Panthers did not re-sign Pineiro this offseason; as of now, they are planning to go with Fitzgerald, a Florida State alum part of the team’s priority free agent class this year. Dave Canales said recently the Panthers were still looking around at kicker. They are a team to watch regarding a late addition — via the waiver wire or free agency. It should be noted Pineiro, the Panthers’ three-year option who is the third-most accurate kicker in NFL history, remains available.
Perkins and Plummer brought the Panthers’ QB count to four; now, only Bryce Young and Andy Dalton are rostered. One of the QBs figures to receive a look for the practice squad, but the Panthers will have other options to look at as P-squad candidates following the other 31 teams’ cuts. Teams are seeing an early preview of who will be available today, as dozens are being released around the league. Perkins only signed with the Panthers last week; Plummer spent most of last season on Carolina’s practice squad, making him a more realistic candidate to land there.
Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers Requests Trade
4:02pm: Meyers has already drawn interest from “several teams,” The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports. That will of course be a moot point unless the Raiders’ stance toward accepting an offer changes, but a market exists in the event a deal can be struck over the coming days.
2:40pm: Jakobi Meyers is on the doorstep of entering a season as the Raiders’ No. 1 wide receiver for the first time. Although he spent much of last season in that role, Davante Adams was still with the team to start Meyers’ previous years in Las Vegas.
This status has not come with a contract adjustment, and the 2023 free agency addition — who has made it known he wants to stay in Vegas beyond 2025 — will try to force the issue. Meyers has requested a trade, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report.
The former UDFA is tied to an $11MM-per-year contract, and discussions on a new deal have not keyed a resolution. The Raiders, however, have no plans to trade Meyers, per NFL.com. Even though this Raiders regime (or the one before it, for that matter) did not acquire Meyers, Rapoport and Pelissero indicate the seventh-year vet is viewed as too valuable to the team to move right now.
The sides engaged in extension talks earlier this summer, after Meyers let it be known he was interested in another Raiders pact. Added in 2023 on a deal that matched JuJu Smith-Schuster‘s free agency accord that year, Meyers has far exceeded the value Smith-Schuster or fellow 2023 eight-figure AAV recipient Allen Lazard have provided. Meyers posted a quiet 1,000-yard season in 2024, doing so despite one of the NFL’s worst quarterback groups targeting him. But he currently sits miles behind the receiver market’s upper echelon.
Meyers’ deal checks in 31st among wide receiver AAV; he is due a $10.76MM base salary in 2025. Although Meyers reuniting with then-Raiders HC Josh McDaniels brought him a massive raise from his UDFA Patriots terms, a player expected to be Geno Smith‘s top target is off the pace at the position. Then again, Meyers has one career 900-yard season on his resume. That complicates a raise route, even if the possession receiver posted three straight 800-yard years — with a slew of sub-average QBs targeting him in that span — before his 2024 uptick.
Being set for an age-29 season also increases some urgency for Meyers, who would be a slightly less attractive free agent ahead of an age-30 campaign next year. Though, Meyers could also still probably do well on the open market — provided his fit with Smith in Chip Kelly‘s offense goes well. Tom Brady having been the Patriots’ QB in Meyers’ rookie season, when he carved out a role for the defending Super Bowl champions, adds an interesting wrinkle to this process as well. But veteran reporter Jordan Schultz confirms extension talks have stalled.
Two players from Meyers’ rookie class — Deebo Samuel, D.K. Metcalf — changed teams via trade this year. Another, ex-third-rounder Terry McLaurin, just landed a monster Commanders extension after a holdout turned into a hold-in. Meyers participated in training camp and probably is not a candidate to skip regular-season games. The Silver and Black also appear to be counting on him as a Brock Bowers complement in Pete Carroll‘s debut. The Raiders have him tied to a team-friendly deal, and while nearly two weeks remaining until Las Vegas’ opener, beginning the season on this contract may be how this plays out.
Bengals Release DT Taven Bryan, Waive 11
The Bengals are now among the teams to announce some early cuts. With rosters required to be at 53 in less than 24 hours, Cincinnati parted ways with 12 players early:
Released:
- DT Taven Bryan
Waived:
- DT McTelvin Agim
- CB Nate Brooks
- WR Cole Burgess
- RB Quali Conley
- S Shaquan Loyal
- WR Rashod Owens
- C Andrew Raym
- CB Lance Robinson
- G Andrew Stueber
- QB Payton Thorne
- LB Craig Young
A former first-round Jaguars pick, Bryan has settled into a rotational role after not panning out like Jacksonville hoped. Bryan still started 13 combined games for the Colts over the past two seasons, stopping through Indianapolis after a 2022 season as a Cleveland starter. For his career, the Florida alum has started 46 games. His $1.42MM Bengals contract did not contain any guaranteed money. Cincy has 2024 Day 2 draftees Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson as backups to B.J. Hill and offseason addition T.J. Slaton.
A 2022 Patriots seventh-round pick, Stueber played in seven Bengals games lats season. Brooks, a UFL performer attempting to resume a stalled NFL career, went to back-to-back Bengals camps but has not seen game action since 2020. The Bengals still have a ways to go on their 90-to-53 journey, which must be done by 3pm CT Tuesday.