The NFL roster cut deadline has come and gone. Even so, 53-man rosters are not set in stone — not yet. Teams will put in waiver claims; if those claims are successful, that obviously impacts the 53-man calculus. Plus, every NFL team will need to put together its 16-man practice squad in the coming days.
Very few cuts at the deadline are "surprising," as there's only so much room for excess depth on an NFL roster. Still, these names could quickly find a new home after being oustered on Sunday afternoon:
P Johnny Hekker, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings cut 14-year NFL veteran Johnny Hekker in favor of undrafted rookie Brett Thorson, who won the nation's top punting away at the University of Georgia last season. Hekker, 36, spent 2025 with the Titans, averaging 46.8 yards per punt (20th in NFL), with 28.2 percent of his punts landing inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
Between 2013 and 2017, Hekker made four Bowls and four All-Pro first teams in a five-year span (he finished second team All-Pro the other year). He also won a Super Bowl with the Rams. Almost a decade has passed since his prime and Hekker has begun to lose his once-signature leg strength and command, but still it's a bit jarring to see such an accomplished player booted for an unheralded rookie.
If another punter gets hurt or a team feels ill at ease about its special teams setup, don't be shocked if Hekker gets a phone call.
RB Jaydon Blue, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys' running back situation has been a topic of conversation all summer, as their depth beyond Javonte Williams is quite poor. In a shocking twist, Dallas still cut 2025 fifth-round pick Jaydon Blue after just one season in the organization, promoting 27-year-old Malik Davis — with three years of sporadic usage under his belt in Dallas — to primary backup duties.
Davis averages 4.8 yards per carry in his career, but he has never started. He was involved in 21 percent of snaps last season, up from nine percent in 2022, the last time he was even incorporated on offense. Given the barren state of Dallas' RB room, it would not be the least bit shocking if this were the precursor to a trade — or even a separate waiver wire pickup, depending on how the market plays out.
WR Cedric Tillman Jr., Cleveland Browns
The Browns made the surprising decision to not only keep four quarterbacks, with rookie QB Taylen Green making the cut and Dillon Gabriel heading to the IR, but also to cut former third-round pick Cedric Tillman Jr., despite their apparent weakness at the wide receiver position.
Tillman has dealt with his share of injuries and inconsistency over the years, but the former Tennessee star is a big target at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds. He reeled in 21 catches last season for 270 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 12.9 yards per reception. Given his relative youth at 26 years old, it wouldn't be the least bit shocking for Tillman to garner interest from all over the place. Receiver is ever the position of need for contenders and pretenders alike, and Tillman could shine in a more stable offensive environment.
OL Jedrick Wills Jr., Chicago Bears
Jedrick Wills Jr. was brought in to compete for the Bears' starting left tackle job after five years with the Browns. A former No. 10 overall pick in 2020, Wills made 57 starts in Cleveland — all but one appearance. He has missed considerable time in recent years, limited to five games in 2025 and eight games in 2024, but when healthy, Wills has done enough to hold down a stable job in Cleveland, for what that's worth.
Given his pedigree and experience, Wills immediately becomes a priority add for teams hoping to beef up their O-lines. Plenty of quarterbacks in the NFL require better protection. Names like Jayden Daniels, Joe Burrow and [insert Falcons QB here] come to mind. It should not take long for Wills to field a couple phone calls, even if he did not perform well enough in Bears camp to win a competitive job for a Super Bowl hopeful.
WR Mecole Hardman, Buffalo Bills
With rookie pass-catcher Skylar Bell turning heads at Bills camp, one unlucky veteran was bound to fall on the sword. In the end, it's three-time Super Bowl champ Mecole Hardman, who appeared in just two games for Buffalo last season and missed his only target. Before that, Hardman spent the majority of five NFL seasons in Kansas City, where he established a sharp rapport with Patrick Mahomes, who leaned on Hardman's quick-twitch athleticism to generate explosive plays down the field.
Bell can replace Hardman's speed and gadgety nature in Buffalo, but the 28-year-old still has enough gas in the tank — or reputational clout, at the very least — to command interest from other teams. Hardman has utility on special teams as well, so he can plug a variety of holes for a team in need of receiver help.
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