We've reached one of the biggest moments of the calendar year.
With the preseason in the books, all NFL teams must now trim their roster to 53 players in advance of the 2024 regular season.
Here is what you need to know about the NFL's 53-man roster deadline.
When is the roster deadline?
All teams must reduce their roster to an initial 53 players by Tuesday at 1 p.m. (PT).
How many players can a team keep?
Teams are required to have 53 players on their active roster. Each team has also has a practice squad that consisted of more than a dozen players.
Teams can have a maximum of 16 players on their practice squad but there is one exception. If a team has a player from the International Pathway Program on their roster — which the Chargers have in defensive lineman C.J. Okoye — they have an exempt spot and can keep 17 players.
When will the practice squad be announced?
Practice squads must be into the league by Wednesday at 1 p.m. (PT), the day after initial 53-man rosters are announced.
What if a player goes on Injured Reserve?
Unfortunately, injuries are part of life in the NFL. But a recent rule change could tweak how rosters look.
In a new rule for this year, teams can place up to two players on Injured Reserve on Tuesday. Those players can return to the team after sitting out a minimum of four games.
Teams previously had to keep players on their roster through cuts.
Can my team add a player released by another team?
Yes. A big part of roster cutdown day is teams watching moves that other teams make.
Players with fewer than four years of service in the league are subject to waivers, meaning teams have the chance to claim their existing contracts. The Chargers currently have the fifth spot in waiver orders based on their 2023 record.
The Chargers can claim any player who was waived by another team prior. At 9 a.m. (PT) on Wednesday, waiver claims will be awarded to their new teams provided the player did not get claimed by a team above them in the waiver order.
