The NFL preseason is in full swing, meaning that while veterans are simply ramping up, players fighting for roster spots have everything to play for. The preseason is sure to bring good news to some of the players who are battling for roster spots, but there are others who are likely to be cut. After all, not everyone can make it when rosters are limited to just 53 players.
These five players in particular are on the chopping block, looming as cut candidates by the end of the preseason.
WR Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants
Once upon a time, Odell Beckham Jr. was one of the best and most popular receivers in the NFL. Unfortunately, even though he's back in a New York Giants uniform, those days are long gone, and while Beckham has a shot at playing with Big Blue this upcoming season, he's certainly on the chopping block.
Beckham looked good in Week 1 of the preseason - or at least better than his stat line might suggest - but the Giants have a good amount of wide receiver depth. Sure, they don't have much in terms of big-name talent beyond Malik Nabers, but Darius Slayton, Calvin Austin III, Darnell Mooney, Isaiah Hodgins and Jalin Hyatt (among others) are all NFL-caliber wideouts. Beckham will have his hands full, and while the Giants would certainly love to include one of the most popular players in the history of the franchise on their roster, I'm not positive Beckham, at age 33 and coming off a full season on the sidelines, will win a spot.
DT Arik Armstead, Jacksonville Jaguars
Arik Armstead wasn't nearly as popular a player as Beckham in his prime, but he was an extremely impactful player, particularly with the San Francisco 49ers. He recorded as many as 10.0 sacks in a single season, and his high-end play earned him a chance to sign a three-year deal that maxes out at $51 million with the Jacksonville Jaguars ahead of the 2024 season.
His 2024 campaign was underwhelming, but Armstead, to his credit, bounced back and recorded a solid 5.5-sack season for the Jags in 2025. Cutting him wouldn't make much sense with that in mind, but since we're past June 1, releasing him would save the Jaguars over $14 million. Ruke Orhorhoro is unproven, so it isn't a guarantee that the Jags will move on from Armstead, but if Orhorhoro plays well in the preseason, the money Jacksonville would save by cutting Armstead might be too tempting to ignore.
QB Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
Will Levis thinks he should be a starter, but not only does he have no shot at starting Week 1 for the Tennessee Titans, but if both Cam Ward and Mitchell Trubisky are healthy, he also has no shot at being the team's backup. It's a numbers game at the end of the day, and the numbers do not favor him.
Can the Titans carry three quarterbacks? Sure. If they do, maybe Levis will make the team. However, teams are limited to just 53 players on their Week 1 roster, and given those strict roster limitations, carrying three quarterbacks when the other two are healthy rarely makes sense. In an ideal world for Tennessee, Levis would never see the field in 2026, and he will presumably be traded or released as a result.
S Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills
Damar Hamlin is a fan favorite in Buffalo for obvious reasons, but being a fan favorite only gets you so far in the NFL. At the end of the day, the Buffalo Bills have their starting free safety in Geno Stone, and while Hamlin is positioned to be his backup, it's far from a guarantee that he'll win that spot.
Hamlin had a career year in 2024, but appeared in only five games and totaled one tackle in 2025. His down year has opened the door for Jordan Hancock, a 2025 fifth-round pick, to potentially make the team as Stone's backup over Hamlin. If he can win that job, there's a chance there won't be any room for Hamlin at all.
RB Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals
Trey Benson deserves to be on an NFL roster. He's averaged 4.9 yards per carry over his first two NFL seasons, a very impressive number. The problem, though, is that he's appeared in only 17 games over those two seasons, and he only made four appearances in the 2025 campaign.
Injuries have held Benson back from making his mark in the NFL, and now he has a daunting task ahead of him. The Arizona Cardinals might not have much, but they do have running back depth, spearheaded by Jeremiyah Love, Tyler Allgeier and James Conner. If all three of those running backs are healthy (which admittedly is a big if, given Love's current injury), what is Benson's role? It's probably more likely that the Cardinals will find a trade for him rather than needing to cut him outright, but there's a non-zero chance Benson has played his last game with the franchise that drafted.
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