Before Week 1 of the NFL season can commence, NFL teams must trim their rosters from 90 to just 53. The roster cut deadline came and went at 4 p.m. ET today, and some very tough decisions were made. Veterans beloved in their locker rooms, once-promising young talents, and rookies who just couldn’t quite catch up to the speed of the NFL game were all put on the chopping block.
Those types of moves are expected. However, among the sea of moves that make sense, there are a few that have left NFL fans scratching their heads.
Here are the ten most surprising cuts from the roster cut deadline.
Most surprising NFL roster cuts:
QB Desmond Ridder, Arizona Cardinals
After a failed stint in Atlanta, it was clear that Ridder wasn’t cut out for a starting gig in the NFL, but a backup role was still on the table. At least that’s what we thought before the Cardinals cut Ridder and gave the backup role to Clayton Tune.
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Why? Who knows? But that decision is certainly puzzling given that Tune didn’t show much upside in his limited time as Arizona’s starter a season ago. Perhaps his knowledge of the system is what kept him on the team, but Ridder almost certainly is a better backup option.
WR Terrace Marshall Jr., Carolina Panthers
Terrace Marshall Jr. came out of the same wide receiver draft class as his LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase. There were even some people who believed that Marshall would wind up being a better pro than Chase. That obviously hasn’t been the case. Marshall has been abysmal, being outshined by guys like Jonathan Mingo. Marshall has been given ample opportunity to shine in a system that hasn’t had very much tough competition.
That said, there is still some belief that Marshall can break out in the right circumstances. Clearly, the Panthers don’t feel the same.
OL Jackson Carman, Cincinnati Bengals
Carman was a second-round pick just a few years ago and was supposed to be part of the revamped offensive line that kept Joe Burrow healthy. Obviously, that hasn’t panned out as planned, and Carman hasn’t been as great as the Bengals needed him to be. Still, he was a more than serviceable backup option and the final year of his rookie contract was coming up after this season.
If the team could’ve stuck with him for another year, they could’ve negotiated a backup salary for him and maintained some young offensive line depth.
WR Noah Brown, Houston Texans
Noah Brown would’ve likely served as the Texans’ No. 4 receiver behind Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, and Tank Dell. That’s a fine spot for Brown, and he’s actually a pretty good 4. Let’s not forget that Brown had a two-week stretch with over 300 yards just last year when Collins and Dell went down.
Brown is going into his age-28 season and while his contract was worth $4 million, that deal was made this offseason, just for the Texans to cut him before the season started.
S Adrian Amos, Jacksonville Jaguars
Despite his age (31), Amos has been a very solid safety, earning a 71.8 grade from PFF a season ago. Although he was much worse in 2022, he’d still shown some gas in the tank, even if he needed to remain in a backup role.
QB Mike White, Miami Dolphins
Mike White was not a great quarterback for the New York Jets, but he did show some flashes of backup potential. Sure, his 9:13 career TD:INT ratio isn’t great, but it’s still better than the Dolphins’ current backup Skylar Thompson’s – 1:3 ratio. Sure, Thompson might have some rushing upside that White doesn’t, but White had proven capable of throwing for two touchdowns and 200 yards in a regular season game.
WR Isaiah Hodgins, New York Giants
Just a few years ago, Giants’ fans really liked Hodgins as a depth piece at wide receiver. He wasn’t a true No. 1 or 2 by any means, but he had several good flashes, including a five-week stretch between December 2022 and January 2023 where he recorded 25 receptions, 250 yards, and four touchdowns. Those are very solid numbers, and a lot of people expected him to remain a core part of the Giants’ receiving corps for years.
However, in 2023, Hodgins took a major step back. Despite playing in all 17 games for New York, he failed to eclipse his yardage total from just eight games with the team the season prior. In fact, that five-week stretch in 2022 saw Hodgins get more receptions than he would the entirety of 2023. Still, given Hodgins’ proven ability to command some respect in a passing attack, you’d think the Giants, who only have Malik Nabers and a still unproven Jalin Hyatt, would be willing to give Hodgins another shot.
CB Caleb Farley, Tennessee Titans
A first-round pick just three years ago, Farley was an unfortunate victim of the injury bug. After being drafted 22nd overall in 2021, he’d tear his ACL later that year and would only rarely return to the field. In fact, Farley did not see the field at all in 2023.
Given that the Titans added cornerbacks L’Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie this offseason, there was an abundance of talent at the position, so it makes sense why the Titans would cut Farley. Still, given Farley’s prowess out of college, it’s tough to see him not get another chance during a regular season game.
S Kareem Jackson, Buffalo Bills
Yes, Kareem Jackson was about to enter his age-36 season, so it makes sense why a team like the Bills would want to cut someone so old taking up over $1 million in cap space. That said, the Bills are still contenders despite the absence of Stefon Diggs. They can absolutely compete and Jackson hasn’t been bad in recent years.
In 2023, he started eight games for Denver and still managed two interceptions. Pro Football Focus graded him out at a 67.3, which is actually pretty solid. Sure, he’s maybe lost a step or two in recent years, but Jackson seems to still have some gas left in the tank for any team looking for some depth at safety or an emergency starter.