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The league plans to have a new roster cutdown plan this summer, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
NFL owners just approved a 90-man roster to start training camp this year, source said, with cuts to 85 on Aug. 17, 80 on Aug. 24 and 53 on Aug. 31.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 26, 2021
The first piece of news in Pelissero’s report is the confirmation of a 90-man camp roster. Remember, in 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, each NFL team began workouts with an 80-man roster.
The next item to note is a brand new schedule, with cuts to 85 players on August 17, 80 players on August 24 and a final 53 players on August 31. In a later tweet, Pelissero notes the change coincides with the shift to three preseason games from the previous four. Each cutdown happens on the Tuesday following each preseason game.
The changes result in the Kansas City Chiefs having an initial roster four days earlier than normal — and 12 days ahead of their Week 1 matchup with the Cleveland Browns on September 12 at Arrowhead Stadium.