WESTFIELD, INDIANA - AUGUST 19: A detailed view of a Atlanta Falcons helmet seen on the field during the joint practice with the Indianapolis Colts at Grand Park Sports Campus on August 19, 2026 in Westfield, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Falcons just completed the third and final week of the 2026 NFL preseason, which means that the trimming down of the offseason roster from 90 to the 53 man final roster will begin shortly. There’s been a number of fascinating roster battles and impressive players fighting for spots, making for some tough decisions for Ian Cunningham and Kevin Stefanski. After all, the Falcons face a tough Week 1 matchup on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where Atlanta has never won before and remains three-point underdogs.
This year, the cutdown deadline is earlier than usual, with teams needing to have their final cuts submitted no later than Sunday, August 30 at 6 PM ET. We’ll be keeping an eye on the transaction wire to bring you the latest news as quickly as possible throughout the coming days. Keep this page bookmarked as we’ll be updating it regularly once the announcements begin.
JACKSONVILLE, FL - AUGUST 21: Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back Jabbar Muhammad (37) defends near the line of scrimmage during the NFL preseason game betwee the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday, August 21, 2206 at EverBank Stadium in JAcksonville, FL (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
By Sunday dinner, the number of NFL players on active rosters will drop from nearly 5,000 to 1,696. The Jacksonville Jaguars and 31 other clubs will each part with dozens of players; the favorites from that crop will earn invitations to join the practice squad.
Depth charts are sure to be revised after this weekend. “You’re always going to stay agile,” general manager James Gladstone said earlier this offseason. As the Jaguars assemble their initial 53-man roster, though, we’ll be tracking all the moves here.
Jacksonville currently has +2700 odds to win Super Bowl LXI, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. They’re a toss-up to make the playoffs (-106 odds). One could argue it’s another sign the Jags aren’t getting the respect they deserve… but hey, maybe that’ll change in the next 48 hours.
A current Jaguar to look out for is second-year defensive back Jabbar Muhammad. After signing as an undrafted free agent, the former Oregon Duck was released into the wild in the final wave of last year’s roster cuts. He would join Jacksonville’s practice squad and earn a reserve/future contract after the season. Muhammad took this offseason by storm — head coach Liam Coen called him one of the team’s most improved players — and his rapid development carried over from OTAs to training camp as he continued making plays in practice. His performance was shakier in the preseason, however. Did he do enough in the spring and summer to warrant a spot on the 53? Or will the Jags hope to stash him on the practice squad for one more year?
Odell Beckham Jr. is looking to do something he hasn't since the 2018 NFL season – suit up in a regular-season game for the New York Giants.
Beckham signed with the Giants as a free agent on June 1. It marked a reunion between him and the franchise that selected him with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, and also a second partnership with John Harbaugh, who coached him with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023.
Few knew what to expect from Beckham with the Giants. The 33-year-old receiver had last played during the 2024 NFL season with the Miami Dolphins, generating nine catches for 55 yards across nine games.
Nonetheless, Beckham was given a legitimate chance to fight for a spot on a wide-open Giants receiver depth chart behind fellow LSU product Malik Nabers. He generated seven catches for 76 yards across his preseason action while looking to stake a claim to a roster spot.
Was Beckham able to earn a spot on the Giants' 53-man roster? Here are the latest updates about his status as the NFL's 53-man roster deadline approaches on Aug. 30.
Did the Giants cut Odell Beckham Jr.? Latest updates
The Giants have not yet released Beckham. New York has not yet announced the players it is releasing to comply with the 53-man roster deadline, but a decision about the 33-year-old's status will be reached by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 30.
The Giants entered their Friday, Aug. 28, preseason final against the New York Jets with 11 receivers on their 90-man roster. Teams typically keep between five and seven receivers on their 53-man rosters during the NFL season, so Beckham is firmly on the Giants' roster bubble.
The Giants had seven players listed as first-, second- or third-string receivers on their most recent unofficial depth chart release. One of them, Calvin Austin III, suffered a season-ending ACL tear in practice. The remaining six were listed as follows:
The Giants also have Braxton Berrios, Xavier Gipson, Isaiah Hodgins and Jaylin Hyatt listed as fourth-string receivers. All are battling with the likes of Beckham and Cambre for spots on the back end of New York's roster.
Meanwhile, though Slayton and Mooney are listed ahead of Fields, the third-round rookie could ultimately emerge as the team's No. 2 receiver early in the season because of his size (6-4, 218 pounds) and blocking capabilities.
Odell Beckham Jr. contract details
Beckham Jr. signed a one-year contract worth $1.3 million with the Giants. He will only carry a $1.075 million cap hit, per Spotrac.com, and will not have a dead-cap charge if released.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JUNE 26: Christian Yelich #22 of the Milwaukee Brewers hits a double against the Chicago Cubs at American Family Field on June 26, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Make that three straight wins for the Crew after their 6-1 victory over the Texas Rangers. Tonight’s win adds another to their MLB-leading 84 wins while also extending their division lead to eight games with less than a month to play.
All around the diamond, there were standout players tonight for the Brewers, and while the likes of William Contreras, Jake Bauers, and Jackson Chourio stay hot, there’s one bat that has awakened: Christian Yelich. Yelich finishes the night with three hits and an RBI with a double. After tonight’s showing, he’s now batting .391 with a .462 OBP over his last seven games.
Sticking with the train of hot offense, Contreras came through with two men on in the bottom of the first inning to give the Brewers an early 1-0 lead. In the very next at-bat, Yelich hit his 21st double of the season, driving in Bauers to extend their lead to 2-0.
Then, the Rangers were introduced to one of the best upcoming pitchers in all of baseball in Logan Henderson, as he picked up his first of seven strikeouts. In fact, going forward, the Rangers were only able to pick up one hit, and that came on a solo home run from former Brewer Danny Jansen in the bottom of the third inning. Henderson went the rest of the way, only facing one of the minimum, finishing the night with only 91 pitches thrown.
With the number of records that this edition of the Brewers has racked up to this point in the season, Henderson continued to pile on his accolades tonight as well. Following tonight’s start, he now has the second-lowest ERA in his first 19 career starts with a 2.30 ERA. The only man above him is Bill Parsons with a 2.27 ERA.
The Brewers’ offense went silent after the first inning until Yelich kicked things off with a weak base hit. After a two-out walk from Sal Frelick, David Hamilton went the other way with it to drive in Garrett Mitchell to extend the Brewers’ lead to 3-1.
After the final 1-2-3 inning from Henderson in the top of the seventh, Contreras picked up his second RBI of the game with a base hit to center field to make it 4-1. Then, for no particular reason, the Brewers decided to play a little small ball in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Frelick and Hamilton both reached base via the drag bunt, but it was Brice Turang who bunted one foul on the third pitch of the at-bat to strike out. Chourio then poked a ball through the left side of the infield to make it 5-1, then, for good measure, Contreras added one final run for his third RBI of the night to cap it at 6-1.
After Henderson provided another stellar outing, Aaron Ashby and DL Hall shut down the Rangers in the final two innings. Hall capped off the series opener win by striking out the side.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 28: Quinn Mathews #60 of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning at Busch Stadium on August 28, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Watching the Cardinals for the past week has been similar to that meme where the stick figure pokes the stick at an object saying “do something”. Many of us who witnessed the early season version of the St. Louis Cardinals have been anxiously waiting for the team to do something and they did some of that Friday night against the Pirates. Fortunately, those “somethings” included a big blast from Jimmy Crooks and a stellar effort from Quinn Mathews.
Quinn Mathews got off to an efficient start limiting his pitch count by getting pounding the strike zone and allowed the defense behind him to help out. Great example of that happened in the top of the 2nd inning when he handed out a one-out walk to Gonzales, but got a ground ball out of Flores Jr. which turned into a nifty double play thanks to some fancy glovework by Nolan Gorman at third.
Gorman helped out with the bat, too, in the bottom of the 3rd inning when he waited on a 94 mph changeup and smacked it into the right-centerfield gap for a double that turned into a triple with Cruz couldn’t get a handle on the ball. He was able to take a leisurely stroll to home plate when Jimmy Crooks followed that with a 90 mph slider he launched 416 feet for a 2-run homer deep into the right field stands for a 2-0 Cardinals lead.
To sum up the Cardinals pitching start Friday night, Quinn Mathews was DEALING! The Pirates didn’t have a real scoring chance until the top of the 4th inning when he gave up a leadoff single to Triolo. Two batters later, O’Neil Cruz hit a hard grounder off of Alec Burleson’s glove at first giving Pittsburgh runners at first and third with two outs, but the Pirates were held scoreless when JJ Wetherholt made a nice play on a sinking line drive for the final out of the Pittsburgh 4th. Quinn was at 65 pitches going into the top of the 5th inning which is a big improvement over his last couple of outings.
The Cardinals offense seemed determined to give Mathews some more run support as Jordan Walker started the bottom of the 5th with single he smoked into left field from a 96 mph four-seam fastball. Jose Fermin then poked a single into right field which moved Walker to third. Nathan Church took advantage of that as he lifted a sacrifice fly to center scoring Walker and upping the Cardinals lead to 3-0. Joshua Baez kept the party going as he ripped a double into the left field corner giving St. Louis runners at second and third with just one out as Fermin was held up at third. It was then Nolan Gorman’s turn. He had a very effective at bat as he came back from a 1-2 count to draw a walk which loaded the bases for the Cardinals. Jimmy Crooks had a prime opportunity to break the game wide open, but he was called out on a check swing for the second out of the inning. It was up to JJ Wetherholt to come through with some two out magic, but all he could manage was a first-pitch dribbler out to the pitcher. Humongous missed opportunity.
The top of the 5th inning has been the land of baseball danger for the Cardinals during the second half of the season. How many games with promise have come apart at the seams in the infamous 5th? Too many to count is the answer. Quinn Mathews ran into a bit of trouble in the 5th inning of Friday’s game, too, but fortunately it did not doom the Cardinals to a sudden deficit. With one out, he hit Mangum with a pitch. Yorke then singled to right giving the Pirates runners at first and second. It looked like Mathews might get out of it without damage when he got a ground ball out of Davis that looked like it might turn into a double play, but the Wetherholt to Fermin to Burleson turn only got the force out at second since injured Masyn Winn was not a part of it. Triolo hit a 2-out single just in front of Baez in left to drive in the first Pirate run of the night making it 3-1 Cardinals. Fortunately, Quinn struck out Valdez to end the threat and maintain the Cardinals advantage.
The Cardinals knocked Pirates starter Jared Jones out of the game in the bottom of the 5th inning when Jordan Walker and Jose Fermin hit back-to-back two out singles. It ended up being fruitless as Nathan Church bounced a ball off of Pirates reliever Evan Sisk, but could not beat the throw to first to end the Cardinals 5th.
Quinn Mathews first Busch Stadium start was a memorable one. He got the Cardinals through 5 2/3 and was in position for a win after Ryan Fernandez got the last out in the top of the 6th. Mathews left the game with a pitch count of 102 allowing 5 hits, 1 earned run while striking out 7 and walking only 1.
Ryan Fernandez stayed in the game to handle the Pirates in the top of the 7th and handle them he did 1-2-3. No runners and no drama. He was also the Cardinals answer for the top of the 8th inning after St. Louis failed to mount any kind of offensive momentum in the bottom of the 7th. Fernandez was able to lock down the Pirates for the first two outs of the 8th inning before he walked Reynolds bringing up O’Neil Cruz as the potential tying run. That brought manager Oli Marmol out of the dugout to bring in Caleb Ferguson for a lefty-on-lefty matchup. That led to a huge break for the Cardinals as Cruz hit a hard ground ball that appeared to go into right field for a single that would have given the Pirates runners at first and third, but the ball hit Reynolds for the final out of the inning. We’ll take it!
The Cardinals tried to add to their lead in the bottom of the 8th inning when Jordan Walker led off with a single into right for his third hit of the night. Jose Fermin was drilled in the chest by a pitch that he squared around to bunt on, but on replay challenge it was overturned after video showed it hit the bat first. Fermin did end up grounding out to the pitcher, but he did move Walker up into scoring position at second on the play. Jordan moved over to third on a ground out to first by Nathan Church. He would score when Joshua Baez grounded out, but shortstop Gonzalez hurried his throw which pulled Horwitz off first base giving the Cardinals a valuable insurance run increasing the lead to 4-1. Three errors on the night by the Pirates helped the St. Louis cause.
Ryne Stanek was brought in to lock down the game for the Cardinals and win for Quinn Mathews. Ryne got Gonzalez to fly out to right for the first out. Next up was Flores Jr. who Stanek struck out with 99 mph HEAT. Mangum was the final Pirates hope which turned out to be no hope at all as Ryne got him out to seal the deal for St. Louis.
The St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates will convene again Saturday afternoon for game 2 of their weekend series. Kyle Leahy is the scheduled starter for the Cardinals while the Pirates have yet to announce who they’ll send to the mound. First pitch is 1:15pm central time with the game broadcast available via Cardinals.tv.
EAST RUTHERFORD – The Jets saw what they needed to. So, in their preseason finale against the Giants, they rested just about everyone who’s anyone.
No Geno Smith. No Breece Hall. No Garrett Wilson.
It was the Cade Klubnik show and those fighting for a roster spot. Chip Trayanum scored a touchdown. Nate Lynn had another sack. For the most part, they kept the Giants at bay, but ultimately fell 23-6.
It was a solid end to the summer. Now, the Jets will spend the next 48 hours trimming their roster to 53.
Here’s our final prediction of what moves might be coming for Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey...
Quarterback (2)
Makes the cut: Geno Smith, Cade Klubnik
Gets cut: Bailey Zappe, Brady Cook
Cade won the backup quarterback job almost by default. Zappe and Cook were terrible in camp and the preseason. I’d look for the Jets to explore other quarterbacking options on the waiver wire, potentially J.J. McCarthy (Vikings) or Tanner McKee (Eagles).
Running back (5)
Makes the cut: Breece Hall, Braelon Allen, Isaiah Davis, Kene Nwangwu, Andrew Beck (FB)
Gets cut: Dominic Richardson, Chip Trayanum
The injuries to Hall and Davis cloud this room some. The Jets expect both players back for the opener, but how close to 100 percent will they be? Nwangwu gives them an insurance policy. They can always cut him, and move him to the practice squad, if Hall and Davis are truly back to form.
Receiver (6)
Makes the cut: Garrett Wilson, AD Mitchell, Omar Cooper, Isaiah Williams, Tim Patrick, Arian Smith
Smith, last year’s fourth-round pick, hasn’t done much to separate himself to this point. He makes the 53-man roster just because it’s hard to see the Jets keeping five wideouts. It’s very possible a player shakes free from another team and the Jets claim him, then cut Smith, a day later.
Sep 7, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor (85) reacts to the play during the second half against the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Tight end (4)
Makes the cut: Mason Taylor, Kenyon Sadiq, Jeremy Ruckert, Jelani Woods
Gets cut: Chase Curtis, Connor Hulstein
This is one of the deeper tight end rooms I can remember the Jets having. All four players can play. Woods might be having the best summer of anyone.
Offensive line (9)
Makes the cut: Olu Fashanu, Dylan Parham, Josh Myers, Joe Tippmann, Armand Membou, Anez Cooper, Xavier Newman, Max Mitchell, Chukwuma Okorafor
Gets cut: Liam Fornadel, Marquis Hayes, Xavier Hill, Kohl Levao, Cortland Ford, Landon Young
No real surprises here. This is another spot I could see the Jets looking to fortify on the waiver wire. Their starters are very good, but there isn’t much depth.
Defensive line (10)
Makes the cut: David Bailey, T’Vondre Sweat, Harrison Phillips, Will McDonald, Kingsley Enagbare, David Onyemata, Mazi Smith, Darrell Jackson, Jowon Briggs, Joseph Ossai
Gets cut: Paschal Ekeji, Payton Page, Jack Heflin, Braiden McGregor
This unit is almost completely rebuilt from the one Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas constructed just a few years ago. McDonald, who's been working with the backup defense, is the lone remaining. This group could use some fortification in the middle.
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) throws the ball under pressure from New York Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood (44) in the first quarter during an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Linebacker (4)
Makes the cut: Demario Davis, Jamien Sherwood, Kiko Mauigoa, Marcelino McCrary-Ball
The Jets have a tremendous 1-2 punch at linebacker in Davis and Sherwood. Behind them is the real concern, though. Glenn can’t feel confident in any of the other guys if they’re forced to play meaningful defensive reps. Linebackers aren’t that hard to find. The Jets might go looking.
Cornerbacks (6)
Makes the cut: Brandon Stephens, AZ Thomas, Jarvis Brownlee, D’Angelo Ponds, Qwan’tez Stiggers, Nashon Wright
Gets cut: Mory Bamba, Tre Brown, Jordan Clark, Keenan Garber, Samuel Womack
The Jets cornerback room is deep, it’s just lacking a legitimate guy at the top. They essentially have six No. 2, No. 3 guys and no lockdown presence. That’s tough in today’s NFL. It’s near impossible to find a game-changing corner on the waiver wire or trade block, so the Jets will likely have to make it work with these guys this year.
Safeties (4)
Makes the cut: Minkah Fitzpatrick, Dane Belton, Andre Cisco, VJ Payne
Gets cut: Dean Clark, Jarius Monroe, Malachi Moore, Tanner Wall
Belton finally surpassed Cisco on the depth chart this week, taking over as the starter next to Fitzpatrick. It’s deserved. He’s had a far better summer. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Jets just cut Cisco and went with someone younger.
Special teams (3)
Makes the cut: Jason Sanders (K), Austin McNamara (P), Thomas Hennessy (LS)
Gets cut: N/A
Sanders won the kicking competition because he was the least bad. This is one that would still surprise me if he’s their Week 1 kicker. The Jets will likely look to get something else done here.
CANTON, OHIO - AUGUST 06: Akayleb Evans #29 of the Carolina Panthers looks on during the first quarter of the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game against the Arizona Cardinals at Tom Benson Hall Of Fame Stadium on August 06, 2026 in Canton, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The end of the offseason is here. All NFL teams are required to cut their 90-man preseason rosters down to 53 players by Sunday evening. Carolina Panthers gneral manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales (+3300 to win AP NFL Coach of the Year per FanDuel) will have their work cut out for them. Not only do they have to release 37 players and build a 16-player practice squad, but they also have to keep an eye on their favorite roster bubble players from around the league to try to bring to Charlotte via the waiver wire.
How does the waiver wire work?
Teams have until 1 PM ET the day after roster cuts—that’s Monday, August 31st for those following along at home—to file a waiver claim. That’s just 19 hours after cuts are finalized. The NFL will then review claims and assign players to teams in order of their waiver wire priority.
What is waiver wire priority?
Waiver wire priority follows, for the first three weeks of the NFL season, the pre-trade NFL draft order. That order then adjusts to a record-based order, essentially the next year’s projected draft order. The Carolina Panthers are currently 19th in the waiver wire priority order. The full list is as follows:
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - AUGUST 19: Bryce Young #9 of the Carolina Panthers throws a pass during a joint training camp at Miller Electric Center on August 19, 2026 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Carolina Panthers have to cut their roster down from 90 to 53 by 6:00 PM ET on Sunday, August 30th. This is your live tracker and discussion thread for all of Carolina’s cuts this season. We will not be tracking notable cuts from other teams in this space. Any of those who get added to the Panthers will be addressed if and when they are signed.
Keep in mind that the roster at 6 PM Sunday is not the same thing as the roster the Panthers will open with against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, September 9th. Late cuts can lead to adjustments through the rest of this week. NFL rules also make things difficult to deal with injured players at this time of year.
Two players can be placed on injured reserve before final roster cuts and still be designated to return during the season. Any other player placed on injured reserve before 6 PM Sunday is ineligible to return this season. We’ll be watching Haynes King in particular with regards to his injury status this weekend.
In short, expect things to change quickly and often, even after the deadline. With that in mind, stay tuned to this space.
2026 Roster Cuts
None yet. Check back soon.
FanDuel odds for the playoffs
Our friends at FanDuel are offering +250 odds for the Carolina Panthers to make the playoffs and -310 for them to miss them entirely. Roster cuts aren’t going to move that line all that much, but you can look to how many of other teams cast offs the Panthers pick up vs how many of their own cuts find jobs elsewhere in the league.
On the one hand, this is the deepest roster the Panthers have fielded in a long time. That also means it has been a long time since other teams have had much interest in sniffing around the Panthers cuts. If teams pick up some of our soon-to-be-former guys then maybe the Panthers are in line for a brighter season than recent years would imply. If the Panthers are dumping their training camp players in favor of folks that couldn’t make an impact with another club then we can all expect more of the same.
While it would be funny to back into the playoffs with a losing record for the second consecutive year, it would make for a necessarily stressful season. I think we’d all rather avoid that if possible.
Checkout FanDuel, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - AUGUST 28: Miami Dolphins helmets are seen during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium on August 28, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Miami Dolphins have completed their 2026 NFL Preseason schedule with a loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night. The Falcons game, along with their earlier games against the Washington Commanders and New York Giants, and the summer’s training camp practices, have given the Dolphins’ coaches all the evaluations they need to build the team’s roster for this year – and they now have to start making decisions.
The NFL roster cuts deadline is fast approaching. Miami and all 31 other teams must cut from the preseason 90-man roster to the regular-season limit of 53 players over the next couple of days. Roster cuts are due by 6 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, August 30.
After the cuts, practice squad players will sign or re-sign with the team. We will track those on Monday, but each team can carry up to 16 additional reserve and developmental players.
The final 53-man roster is, of course, anything but final. Players will be re-signed, claimed off waivers, or signed as free agents before the season begins on Wednesday, September 9. Even after the regular season kicks off, we will see plenty of roster moves, especially for Miami who will likely churn the bottom of the roster all season long.
The 2026 season is not expected to be a good one for the Dolphins. According to the oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook, Miami has the longest odds to make the playoffs in the AFC at +1500. The New York Jets have the next worst odds at +700. Miami’s roster churn will, hopefully, help the Dolphins find players who can grow with the team as they move through this year’s rebuild and into the 2027 season and beyond.
Dolphins roster
Current size: 91 Cuts needed: 38
(Roster size includes two players on the active/physically unable to perform list.)
Rookies in italics.
Quarterbacks
Quinn Ewers Mark Gronowski Cam Miller Malik Willis
Running backs
De”Von Achane Coleman Bennett Donovan Edwards Ollie Gordon II D.J. Herman (FB) Jarquez Hunter Carlos Washington, Jr. Jaylen Wright
Wide receivers
Chris Bell Kevin Coleman, Jr. Caleb Douglas AJ Henning Terrace Marshall, Jr. Donaven McCulley Ryan Miller Jalen Reagor Jalen Tolbert Malik Washington Theo Wease, Jr.
Tight ends
Ethan Conner Greg Dulcich Jeremiah Franklin Will Kacmarek Ben Sims Seydou Traore (International Player Pathway)
Tackles
Gottlieb Ayedze Kevin Cline Marques Cox Charlie Heck Austin Jackson Patrick Paul
Guards
DJ Campbell Josh Priebe Kadyn Proctor Jonah Savaiinaea Caedan Wallace
Centers
Aaron Brewer Andrew Meyer
Defensive ends
Robert Beal, Jr. Seth Coleman-Lyles Clelin Ferrell Cameron Goode Max Llewellyn Rodney McGraw David Ojabo Chop Robinson Josh Uche
Defensive tackles
Zeek Biggers Matthew Butler Keith Cooper, Jr. Kenneth Grant Alex Huntley Fatorma Mulbah Jordan Phillips Cam Rice Zach Sieler
Inside linebackers
Jordyn Brooks Stephen Dix, Jr. Tyrel Dodson Willie Gay, Jr. Ronnie Harrison Kyle Louis Trey Moore Cam Riley Jacob Rodriguez Jaheim Thomas Jackson Woodard
Cornerbacks
Alex Austin Darrell Backer, Jr. (Active/PUP) Miles Battle Ethan Bonner JuJu Brents Storm Duck (Active/PUP) A.J. Green III Chris Johnson Jason Marshall, Jr. Jai’Onte’ McMillan Marco Wilson
Safeties
Zayne Anderson Major Burns Lonnie Johnson, Jr. Louis Moore Michael Taaffe Dante Trader, Jr.
Punters
Bradley Pinion
Kickers
Riley Patterson
Long Snappers
Tucker Addington
Injured reserve
Rene Konga, defensive tackle Cole Turner, tight end Carter Warren, tackle
Chicago Bears defensive lineman Jamree Kromah (59) stretches during a joint training camp at the Kettering Health Practice Fields, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in downtown Cincinnati. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
The Chicago Bears’ offseason has seen several players raise their stock. None more so than sixth-round draft pick Jordan van den Berg, who went from a fun athletic day-three prospect to getting reps with the starters. At this point, van den Berg’s roster spot is a lock, but there’s another defensive lineman who made a splash in the last couple of weeks.
Jamree Kromah came out of college in 2024 as one of the most athletic defensive tackles in his class (9.67 RAS), but he went undrafted and signed with the Bears. He moved up and down the line at James Madison, but as a pro his future was at defensive end. The 275-pounder had a nice camp and totaled 3 tackles and 2 QB hits in the preseason and was ultimately signed to Chicago’s practice squad.
The New England Patriots signed him to their active roster a couple of weeks later, but he was waived and signed back to the Bears’ practice squad, where he remained the rest of 2024.
He was back in Chicago the next year, and in the 2025 preseason he had 6 tackles and a QB hit. The Bears once again signed him to the practice squad, where he stayed all season.
This year, he came into camp a new man.
“One thing I did for sure was I changed my body, changed my nutrition, because I was much heavier last year,” Kromah said in the locker room following the preseason opener against the Browns, where he hit the D-lineman trifecta of a sack, forced fumble, and recovery all on the same play. “So I wanted to make some changes by losing weight. I lost over 20 pounds, but got stronger and then put more lean mass on. So this is the best I have felt … I had to look at the man in the mirror and be true to myself, and come up with a real plan.”
In his first two preseason games, the 6’3″, now 268-pounder, has 6 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and a forced fumble and fumble recovery. His second game wasn’t as impactful, but he did have a half-sack negated by a holding penalty.
In Saturday’s game in Tennessee, he’ll get another chance to shine and make a final push for a roster spot. The Bears may not play their starters, but starting defensive end Austin Booker is sidelined with a groin issue, which could create more opportunities for Kromah.
Our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook currently have the Titans as a 2.5 point favorite in the preseason finale. If you think the Bears will win outright, the moneyline is at +122, with the point total over/under at 37.5.
The main story of the game for the Mets was starting pitcher Christian Scott, who had an up-and-down outing in the strangest possible terms.
Scott was spotless through five innings, allowing just one hit and two walks and keeping Houston off the scoreboard.
However, after recording the first out in the fifth inning, Scott issued three straight walks to Yordan Alvarez, Isaac Paredes,and Jose Altuve. Having lost control of the strike zone, interim manager Andy Green pulled his starter for Nate Lavender, who surrendered two hits which drove in all three baserunners, tagging Scott with three earned runs on his final line.
Speaking with the media postgame, Green expressed no regrets with his decision to let Scott push past the fifth inning.
"Today was a good day to test him," Green said. "He had been efficient through five innings, so I wanted to give him [the chance to face] the third time through [the batting order]."
Both Green and Scott were asked if the right-handed pitcher is feeling any arm fatigue in his first season back from Tommy John surgery and, if so, whether it was a factor in his control issues.
"I'm sure he's feeling it more as the season goes on," Green said. "I think you see it often in their first game back from Tommy John...when he gets further and further from that, the walks will dissipate."
Scott, in contrast, refused to pin the blame on anything but his own performance.
"I wouldn't say I did [feel any arm fatigue] tonight," Scott said. "I just didn't execute, didn't get a lot of whiffs, didn't throw the ball well in the sixth ... need to do a better job filling up the zone."
"Physically, I feel fine," Scott said. "I feel like I'm pitching very well right now, but I need to do a better job executing, especially later in the game."
Whatever the case, Green has the 27-year-old's back.
"It was a learning experience today," Green said. "I have a ton of confidence that the next time he is staring down the middle of the order in the sixth inning, he's going to succeed in that situation."
While most of the starters weren't in action, Friday night's game was a final chance for Jets and Giants players to make their case for roster spots. After a convincing 23-6 win, the Giants can feel good about their depth.
The Jets took a 6-0 lead on their first offensive possession with a 10-play drive that ended with short touchdown run by undrafted rookie running back Chip Trayanum. However, their offense struggled for the rest of the half and the Giants overcame two turnovers to take a 10-6 lead on Tyrone Tracy's touchdown run and Dominic Zvada's short field goal.
The rookie Zvada, who looks to have secured the placekicker job over Ben Sauls, extended the lead to 16-6 with a 53-yard field goal in the third quarter and another early in the fourth. The Jets already announced that Jason Sanders has won their own kicking contest, but his early missed extra point won't fill their fans with confidence, and he also missed a 54-yard field goal.
Jake Haener's 37-yard touchdown pass to former Jets receiver Xavier Gipson made it 23-6 with 10:30 remaining. At the time, Big Blue had outgained the Jets by 354 yards to 99, as they clearly dominated in all three phases. They ran out the clock on their next possession and ultimately outgained the Jets, 400-139.
Here are the takeaways...
– With most starters on both teams sitting, the Jets opted to use defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat and edge defender Joseph Ossai on the Giants' first two possessions. These were two of the Jets' biggest offseason acquisitions on the defensive side of the ball but hadn't been able to suit up in the first two preseason games due to injuries. Both flashed as Sweat blew up a run in the backfield and Ossai got in Jameis Winston's face to break up a pass.
– John Harbaugh has been honest about wanting to see more from Tracy, who ran hard with four carries for 37 yards and a touchdown in the first half. However, he ended up being sidelined with a head/neck injury. Tracy's spot on the 53 is not entirely secure depending on how many running backs the Giants plan to carry. New addition Najee Harris, who might be his main competition, also played well with 59 yards on 12 touches.
– The Jets' defense, which was historically bad at forcing turnovers last year, showed more playmaking abilities in this game after having intercepted two passes last week. Linebacker Marcelino McCrary ball intercepted a pass that was deflected by cornerback Qwan'tez Stiggers and then forced a Braxton Berrios fumble, covered by Stiggers in the end zone. Despite these two plays, Stiggers had a mixed day, getting beaten deep and a personal foul on special teams.
– The Giants haven’t had much of a chance for their starting offensive line to play together in preseason, which was probably a factor in their three interior starters -- center John Michael Schmitz and guards Francis Mauigoa and Jon Runyan Jr. -- all getting the start. For most of the game, the Giants offensive front got the better of the Jets' defensive line, but not necessarily on those early drives. Guard Evan Neal was a standout with the second unit, though.
– Gang Green would have liked to have seen more from rookie quarterback Cade Klubnik, who was at the helm during the first half, as he is expected to be the backup this season. On their scoring drive, he handed the ball to Trayanum on nine of the 10 plays, as their backup offensive line had their way with an opposing front seven also comprised of backups. Klubnik ended up with six completions on 13 passes and didn't complete one down the field until less than two minutes left in the half. He was also intercepted by linebacker Zaire Barnes.
– One Giants player who stood out was edge defender Trace Ford, who had a sack and blew up two runs in the backfield in the first half. For the Jets, Nate Lynn continued his late push for a roster spot with another sack after having had two last week.
– The Jets lost rookie guard Anez Cooper to an apparent right wrist injury in the second quarter. The sixth-round pick was probably destined to be a healthy scratch to start the season anyway, so if he needs to go on injured reserve instead, it might ironically be beneficial in terms of freeing up a roster spot for another potential contributor.
Game MVP: Odell Beckham Jr.
Beckham's attempts to make the Giants' roster has been one of the stories of the summer, and he made a strong case for himself here with three catches for 53 yards before sitting out the second half. Beckham, who also drew a flag for pass interference, was looking sharp as he showcased that he still has the ability to create separation. It could have been a monster half for Beckham, who was wide open for a potential deep touchdown but unlucky not to be able to hang onto a diving catch attempt on Winston’s overthrown pass.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 28: Zac Veen #13 of the Colorado Rockies slides into third base during the fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on August 28, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After splitting a series against the Washington Nationals, the Colorado Rockies looked to start the series in Atlanta on a high note. Despite a solid night offensively, the Rockies left a small village on the base paths as the big hit eluded them and couldn’t keep pace with a dangerous Braves offense.
A tough night in Atlanta for Tomo
Hoping to break a string of difficult starts, the cards were not in Tomoyuki Sugano’s (菅野 智之) favor against the Braves. Things looked promising as Sugano worked a quick 1-2-3 first inning, a far cry from the 45 pitches he threw in his last outing. Unfortunately for Sugano, the Braves picked away at him in the second inning to build a 3-0 lead.
Ronald Acuña Jr. led off with a walk and came in to score on a double from Michael Harris II. After Maricio Dubón flew out, advancing Harris to third base, and Mike Yastrzemski struck out, Sean Murphy delivered an RBI double down the line to score another run. Ha-Seong Kim was then hit by a pitch, setting the table for Drake Baldwin to shoot a ball up the middle to score a third run.
Dubón added another RBI single in the third inning to increase the lead to 4-0. Sugano managed a harmless fourth inning, and his offense closed the deficit in the top of the fifth inning, but his night would be over after just three batters when he came back out to pitch. Acuña smoked the first pitch he saw all the way to the wall for a double, and then Harris launched a two-run home run on the second pitch of the inning to give the Braves a 6-3 lead. Dubón’s single delivered the final blow to knock Sugano out of the game.
Once again, Sugano’s command eluded him. Due to the Atlanta heat and humidity, he struggled to grip the baseball and ended up having to rely on his fastball much more than usual. As a result, he threw 91 pitches, 58 strikes, and allowed six runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts and one walk. He wasn’t able to dip into his secondaries and was often working behind hitters, and the contact started to get harder and harder by the time that fifth inning rolled around.
“He got behind in the count again,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “Not a lot executed tonight. Got hit pretty hard there. It’s just been a tough couple of times out for Tomo.”
Bullpen boys keep it in reach
The Rockies bullpen has continued to do their job and pick up quite a bit of slack from the rotation and this game was no different.
Mark Manfredi relieved Sugano in the fifth inning and continued to impress in his young career. He ended up throwing two solid innings, giving up just three hits and striking out one batter. He was then replaced by Juan Mejia, who tossed a scoreless inning, allowing just one hit. Brennan Bernardino then faced the minimum in the eighth inning.
They combined for just four hits over four innings on 49 total pitches.
The quest for the big hit
Once again, the Rockies found themselves searching for the big hit in the game on offense. In the second inning, the Rockies had something promising after TJ Rumfield walked and Willi Castro singled to put runners on first and second against Grant Holmes. Mickey Moniak smoked a liner to first base that was snagged by Matt Olson for the first out. Connor Norby then grounded into a double play to end the inning.
In the fourth inning, Rumfield singled and was then replaced on the bases by Castro after he grounded into a fielder’s choice. Moniak singled to put men on the corners, but Norby grounded out to end the threat once again.
They finally broke through in the fifth inning against Holmes when Zac Veen, who recorded his first multi-hit game, singled to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a base hit from Ezequiel Tovar. Jake McCarthy got the Rockies on the board with a sacrifice fly to center field. Cole Carrigg tallied a base hit and Tovar came in to score the Rockies’ second run on a single by Hunter Goodman. The third run of the inning came when Rumfield grounded out to the shortstop, allowing Carrigg to score from third.
The string of hits made it a one-run game at the time before the Harris home run in the bottom half of the inning. It also ended Holmes’s night after the fifth inning as he allowed three runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and one walk.
“All year… we pass the baton,” Schaeffer said. “That’s why our offense is so much better this year. Selfless baseball, just trying to get on for the next guy, that’s what we do.”
Facing the dangerous Braves bullpen, the Rockies threatened Ray Kerr in the seventh inning, but couldn’t get the big hit to shift the momentum of the game. McCarthy was hit by a pitch, Goodman singled, and Rumfield walked to load the bases with one out. Castro sent the first pitch he saw to center field for a sacrifice fly to give the Rockies their fourth run of the game. Unfortunately, the Rockies couldn’t get more as the left-on-left matchup for Moniak resulted in a strikeout to end the inning.
The eighth inning continued the theme on offense. Veen drew a one-out walk and moved up to third on a two-out single by McCarthy. With men on the corners and two outs, Carrigg ripped a ball to second base that was gathered by Ozzie Albies. Carrigg flew down the line, forcing a bang-bang play at the bag, and was called out. The Rockies challenged, but the call was upheld, ending the inning.
Goodman secured his third hit of the night with a single in the ninth off of Raisel Iglesias, but was quickly erased on a double-play. Castro then lined out softly courtesy of a diving catch by Albies to end the game. That was a common trend on the night as well, as the Braves continued to make some impressive defensive plays to rob the Rockies of hits that could have drastically altered the game for them.
Despite the 12 hits, the Rockies ended up going 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position, leaving 10 men on base. They have now gone 2-for-20 over the last two games. They only struck out five times and had three walks, with the only extra-base hit being Moniak’s double in the sixth.
“We had chances all night; I thought we swung the bats well, ” said Schaeffer. “We got after it offensively; we came back, kept the foot on the gas. Just didn’t get the job done.”
Up next
The Rockies and Braves continue the series Friday, with Ryan Feltner (5-8, 6.08 ERA) facing veteran lefty Martín Pérez (8-8, 3.12 ERA).
First pitch is scheduled for 2:10 pm MDT. See you then!
Aug 28, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) celebrates with center fielder Michael Harris II (23) after a two-run home run against the Colorado Rockies in the fifth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
You can’t get a high-octane, 1-0 complete game every night. The series opener for Braves-Rockies was always bound to feel different than this last few nights versus Los Angeles, and boy, did it deliver on that front.
The swing-happy Rockies collected eleven singles and one double off of the Braves pitching staff. But the Braves weren’t going to be outdone Friday at home, where they’ve been dominant. They outhit and outscored the Rockies by two for fourteen hits and a final score of 6-4 to secure their 80th win of the season.
It was a quiet first frame as each starter began the game with a 1-2-3 inning. Grant Holmes issued a leadoff walk to TJ Rumfield followed by a single to Willi Castro, but got out of it with a Mickey Moniak lineout and a Connor Norby double play.
“Cleanup man” may just be the psychological trick needed to get Ronald Acuña Jr. going. He led off two innings anyway, but the reset / new mentality seemed to make all the difference as he ended up 3-for-3 on the evening. His great night began with a leadoff walk in the second. He then scored from first on a double off the bat of Michael Harris II, giving the Braves a 1-0 lead.
Mauricio Dubón’s productive out moved Harris to third before Mike Yastrzemski battled for nine pitches before he whiffed for strike three. But Harris wouldn’t be stranded – Sean Murphy, in a bit of deja vu from Wednesday, laced one down the third base line juuust fair for a double to make it 2-0.
Don’t look now, but Ha-Seong Kim has now reached base three straight games after being hit by a pitch. We take those.
Drake Baldwin drove in his fellow catcher on a single to center field to extend the lead to 3-0 before Ozzie Albies flew out to end the inning. A crooked number for the Bravos? Is that allowed?
Holmes worked around a Zac Veen leadoff single in the top of the third before setting down the next three Rockies in order.
Ronald’s first hit of the night came in the bottom of the third with a single to center field. He advanced to second on a Harris sac bunt and scored on a Dubón single.
Holmes allowed a couple more singles in the top of the fourth, but a nice Ozzie/Kim play and two other groundouts helped him escape.
Grant was not so fortunate in the top of the fifth. Consecutive singles by Veen (again) and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar set the table for Jake McCarthy’s sac fly to end the shutout and make it 4-1.
Two more singles by Cole Carrigg and Hunter Goodman kept the line moving. Seemingly aware it was not our usual infielders and alignments, there was a weird vortex that appeared between Dubón at third and Ha-Seong Kim at short. Goodman’s hit deflected off of both of their gloves before rolling into left field.
All of a sudden, Colorado had chipped away enough to make it a one-run ballgame at 4-3. Holmes settled down to get Castro to fly out and end the fifth, closing the book on tonight’s outing: 8 hits (all singles), 3 earned runs, 1 walk, and 3 strikeouts on 84 pitches.
But the Braves would get some of those runs right back. Our outfielders combined for our first multi-run home run in a while: Ronald doubled to right, and once again got to trot home to score on a blast to the Chophouse by Money Mike. Dubón’s single prompted Warren Schaeffer to make a pitching change.
Tomoyuki Sugano exited to the dulcet tones of Ke$ha proclaiming that this place was “about to blow”. With the field awash in red light, Mark Manfredi entered to stop the Braves from adding on any further. He struck out pinch-hitter Lane Thomas, got Murph to fly out sharply to center, and Kim to pop out to short to end the rally with the Braves leading 6-3.
Dylan Dodd allowed a leadoff double to Moniak to start the sixth, but put up another zero with a swinging strikeout and two flyouts.
After a Baldwin lineout and Ozzie taking a risk on a hustle double that did not work out, Matt Olson finally decided to join the party with a single to right, followed by Ronald’s second single. But Manfredi got Harris to line out sharply to left to end the sixth, keeping the Braves off the board for his two innings of relief.
Ray Kerr entered to face the top of the Rockies order in what ended up being an eventful seventh inning. He hit McCarthy and got Carrigg to fly out. But a single to Goodman and a walk by Rumfield loaded the bases, prompting a mound visit from Jeremy Hefner. Castro’s sac fly made it 6-4 before Moniak’s strikeout ended the inning.
Murphy hit a two-out single off new reliever Juan Mejia in the bottom of the seventh, but nothing else of note occured.
Victor Mederos jogged out of the bullpen for the eighth inning. Veen worked a walk between Norby groundout and flyout by pinch-hitter Troy Johnston. But a McCarthy single put runners at the corners. A diving play by Ozzie / flip to Olson on a ground ball hit by Carrigg was challenged by Colorado. We all braced for the replay center to overturn the out call and allow the Rockies to add another run, but New York was on our side for this one (!) and we moved right on along. The home half of the eighth ended expeditiouisly as Brennan Bernardino set down our top three in order.
Raisel Iglesias came into the ninth with the two-run lead and set to face the heart of the Rockies order. Team home run leader Goodman did not hit a dinger, thankfully, but a freak single off his bat allowed him to reach. But our own home run leader can also pick it with the best of them – Olson started a beautiful double play to send Goodman and Rumfield back to the visiting dugout and bring Castro up as the last hope for the Rockies.
More defensive magic in the form of an Ozzie Albies diving play for out number three sealed this one for the Braves.
With a final score of 6-4, that extends Atlanta’s win streak to five games, is the 80th win of the season, and improves the Braves’ home record to 46-23, which is the best in baseball. Most excitingly? Every Brave except Lane Thomas (who had two ABs after hitting in Yaz’s spot) and Ha-Seong Kim had a hit tonight. Here’s hoping that this upward offensive trend continues.
The Braves will return to action tomorrow afternoon with Martín Pérez on the mound for the 4:10 pm ET start.
New York Jets safety Jarius Monroe (25) blocks the ball as New York Giants wide receiver Braxton Berrios (87) attempts to catch the ball during a game at MetLife Stadium, Aug 28, 2026, East Rutherford, NJ, USA. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
In the New York Jets’ third and final preseason game of 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the Jets were defeated by the New York Giants, 23 – 6.
The Jets opened on defense and on third down they intercepted Jameis Winston. That set them up with first and ten at the Giants 36. The Jets proceeded to run a 10 play drive that ended with a short Chip Trayanum touchdown run. No passes were thrown in the drive. Jason Sanders missed the extra point to make the score Jets 6, Giants 0.
The Giants proceeded to put together a long drive that ended when the Jets forced a fumble by old friend Braxton Berrios into their own end zone for a touchback. The turnovers are flowing for the Jets this preseason.
Late in the first quarter the Giants took advantage of a short field to go on a drive culminating in a Tyrone Tracy touchdown run and a 7 – 6 Giants lead. The first quarter ended a few seconds later with the score still 7 – 6.
A few plays into the second quarter Cade Klubnick threw a terrible pass into tight coverage that was picked off by the Giants. The Giants then put together a long drive that bogged down inside the Jets five yard line. They converted on a chip shot field goal to take a 10 – 6 lead with less than three minutes left in the half. Neither team got much going on offense the last few minutes and the half ended with the score still Giants 10, Jets 6.
The Jets opened the third quarter on offense. Bailey Zappe took over for Cade Klubnik at quarterback and promptly led the team on a scintillating three and out. The Giants offensive scrubs took over and put together a short drive ending in a 53 yard field goal and a 13 – 6 Giants lead midway through the third quarter.
Zappe took over on offense and engineered a thrilling three and out as he made his case to be cut on Sunday.
Legendary quarterback Jake Haener took over for the Giants and led them on a long drive. The third quarter ended with the score still Giants 13, Jets 6, but the Giants were lining up for a field goal attempt. On the first play of the fourth quarter the Giants hit on a 46 yard field goal as the Giants took a 16 -6 lead to open the fourth quarter.
Bailey Zappe proceeded to lead the Jets on a stirring three and out as he continued to impress.
Jake The Legend Haener then led the Giants on a swift drive resulting in a touchdown on a 37 yard pass to old friend Xavier Gipson as the Giants piled on with 23 unanswered points. The score was Giants 23, Jets 6 with 10:30 left in the game.
Midway through the fourth quarter the Jets turned to Brady Cook at quarterback. Cook led the Jets on a short drive ending in a missed 54 yard field goal by Jason Sanders, who had a rough night and may have played himself off the team.
Jake The Goat Haener and the Giants then closed out the game with a long drive to the Jets one yard line before taking a knee on the last three plays of the game.
Final score: Giants 23, Jets 6. The loss brought the Jets’ preseason record to 1-2. The score doesn’t really matter. The record doesn’t really matter. The most important development in the game were injuries to Anez Cooper, Chip Trayanum, Dominic Richardson and Joseph Ossai. We’ll see if these end up being injuries that threaten to keep these players out for an extended period of time. Now the Jets move on to getting their roster down to 53 players by 6:00 P.M. EDT on Sunday. They then begin preparations for their opening day game against the Tennessee Titans on September 13.
