Justin Jefferson talks all things Vikings as 2026 season nears
Just Jefferson stops by to chat with Tyler Dragon about the upcoming season and his partnership with Little Caesars.
A dreaded day on the NFL calendar looms in the near future.
As training camps wind down and the preseason peters out, each team will face the unenviable task of making a significant reduction in force by setting its 53-man roster on Aug. 30 for the start of the upcoming season. That nearly 50% reduction in manpower hardly closes the door on further moves, with franchises continuing to reshuffle in the aftermath while also setting their practice squads. But there’s an undeniable sense of finality ahead for many of those who will be sent packing, with a large portion unlikely to make it back to this level.
A good chunk of teams’ cuts already seem clear, with only so many positional competitions within any given roster still ongoing. Yet some familiar figures could still be looking for a new setting in short order.
With 11 days remaining until the cutdown day deadline, here are some of the most notable names from around the league who could be on the chopping block:
Titans QB Will Levis
Things have been rather rough for Tennessee’s former starting quarterback since his December 2024 benching. Not only did the Titans select Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick in the ensuing draft, but the strong-armed signal-caller missed all of the 2025 campaign after opting to undergo shoulder surgery.
Nevertheless, his confidence that he is a starting-caliber passer hasn’t wavered. To reclaim that status, however, his exit is likely a necessity – and it could be coming sooner rather than later.
With Tennessee having signed one of the more capable backups on the market in Mitchell Trubisky, Levis has been reduced to a clear No. 3 option. With development a priority throughout the roster, carrying three quarterbacks seems like a luxury that Tennessee can’t afford.
The one wrinkle could be Trubisky’s right biceps injury, which he suffered on Monday, Aug. 17. Though any long-term issue could prompt some reconsideration of the contingency plan behind center, first-year coach Robert Saleh expressed optimism that the problem would be short-lived.
Steelers RB Kaleb Johnson
In addressing the battle unfolding behind lead ball carriers Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle, Steelers coach Mike McCarthy made clear his priorities.
“It’s important for our players to be able to play all four downs,” McCarthy said on Aug. 16, one day after Pittsburgh’s first exhibition matchup against the Packers. “I think everyone’s excited about draft picks and this and that, but … you have to be able to play on offense (or) defense and special teams. I don’t like to keep a guy who’s just on special teams or just on offense unless his offense or level (warrant it).”
McCarthy was partially giving a shoutout to running back Travis Homer, a special teams standout who’s worked his way to additional consideration for reps in the backfield. But he also might have been foreshadowing a split with Johnson, the 2025 third-round pick who’s been unable to find his footing with the previous coaching staff or the new one.
With Homer getting the nod to start the first preseason game, Johnson logged just two carries for 3 yards. That workload didn’t seem like it reflected the coaching staff’s intentions to keep the second-year back safe. Instead, Johnson’s dwindling role over the course of the offseason could culminate with the team sending him packing as it prioritizes more versatile options further down the roster.
Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr.
Based on the early returns from his first on-field work in more than a year, the two-time Pro Bowl receiver’s return to the Giants looks on track. Despite notching just two catches for 6 yards, Beckham consistently broke free of coverage both underneath and downfield.
“I’m impressed by the way he looks right now,” general manager Joe Schoen said during the broadcast.
That re-emergent skill set should be sufficient to score Beckham a spot in a shaky receiving corps. John Harbaugh, however, was a bit cryptic in addressing the wideout’s future with the franchise.
“I love Odell. I do. What he’s fighting for – I don’t know how it’s going to turn out,” Harbaugh said in a news conference. “It’s gonna turn out the way it turns out based on what happens. But to see his fight, his determination, his humility … just as a friend, that makes me really proud of him.”
Regardless of Beckham’s resolution, the Giants’ roster cull will likely include the departure of a notable receiver. Jalin Hyatt, a former third-round pick who continues to be hampered by leg and ankle ailments, might very well be running out of time after seeing his production wane over three years.
Browns WR Cedric Tillman
The youth movement is already underway in the Browns’ receiving corps, with top picks KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston figuring to vacuum up plenty of targets alongside Jerry Jeudy. That transition could bump out Tillman, who started 10 games last season but might be blocked off from meaningful reps this fall.
A third-round pick in 2023, Tillman has enjoyed a couple of relatively fruitful multi-week stretches for Cleveland despite the team’s severe limitations behind center. But with Boston in tow, the Browns have their big-bodied perimeter target to secure contested catches.
A non-factor on special teams, Tillman might need to look elsewhere to jump-start his career.
Cowboys WR Jonathan Mingo
Camden Brown’s ascension from an undrafted rookie out of Georgia Southern to training camp darling has been a fun development for almost everyone in the Cowboys orbit – except for Mingo.
Brown’s buzz is approaching a full crescendo after his two-touchdown performance against the Seahawks. Though Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer cautioned that Brown needs to maintain his trajectory, he added, “The game’s not too big for him.”
The same can’t be said for Mingo through three years in the NFL. Despite giving up a fourth-round pick to acquire the former second-round selection in November 2024, the Cowboys have netted a measly six catches for 71 yards in 14 career games for the wideout.
Jerry Jones initially launched a staunch defense of his highly criticized trade, but it might be time to cut bait. Brown has been lauded by each of Dallas’ quarterbacks, and his momentum for the fifth receiver slot might be too much for Mingo to overcome.
Bengals DT McKinnley Jackson
When the Bengals selected Jackson in the third round of the 2024 draft, they envisioned a run-stuffing successor to DJ Reader in the middle of their defense. After limited contributions as a rookie, however, the Texas A&M product seemed to fall out of favor last season with first-year defensive coordinator Al Golden. Jackson’s midseason trade request went unfulfilled, and he played in just nine games and 25% of the defensive snaps for a unit that had widespread problems stopping opposing ground games.
Now, he looks like an afterthought on a reloaded front.
With Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen coming aboard to bump incumbent starters B.J. Hill and T.J. Slaton Jr. to the second team, Cincinnati has extensive depth at what used to be the team’s most underinvested position. Kris Jenkins Jr., taken a round ahead of Jackson in 2024, could hold the edge for a final roster spot, while seventh-round rookie Landon Robinson is making a push for consideration. Jackson, meanwhile, has been hobbled by an ankle injury suffered in the preseason opener.
Buccaneers OLB Chris Braswell
Tampa Bay’s various efforts to supercharge its pass rush in recent years have largely fallen short. It’s little wonder, then, that general manager Jason Licht pounced on the opportunity to become more forceful up front by taking Rueben Bain Jr. with the No. 15 overall pick in April.
But as the Buccaneers embrace one brawny brawler off the edge, it could be preparing to close the door on another.
Braswell, a second-round pick in 2024, looks extraneous to the current crop of outside linebackers. Bain and YaYa Diaby are slated to hold down the lead roles. Al-Quaddin Muhammad was signed in April to add depth alongside Anthony Nelson, who’s set to enter his eighth year with the organization. Meanwhile, 2025 fourth-rounder David Walker appears to be on the upswing in his recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament last summer, and undrafted rookie Jack Pyburn flashed promise with two sacks in the first preseason tilt.
That doesn’t leave much space for Braswell, who’s only notched 2 1/2 sacks in two years, to contribute in any meaningful way. Still in need of significant development as a pass rusher, the Alabama product – as well as the team – might be best off if he tries to polish his game elsewhere.
Chargers LB Junior Colson
Much as it might pain Jim Harbaugh to let go of a fellow Michigan man, that’s the way things could be trending for Colson, a 2024 third-round pick.
After a rocky rookie season that included an appendectomy in training camp and landing on injured reserve due to his hamstring, Colson missed all of the 2025 campaign after undergoing shoulder surgery last August. Now he’s stuck behind more reliable options in Daiyan Henley, Denzel Perryman and Troy Dye, while Del’Shawn Phillips and Marlowe Max build solid cases to be more than special teams contributors.
With Wax making a strong impression in camp and the first preseason game, Colson might have work to do if he’s to secure a spot. There’s still time left for a late surge, and the Chargers might be reticent to give up on a player who has not been able to fully demonstrate his ability. But the roster setup might not be in his favor.
Eagles CB Kelee Ringo
The 6-2, 207-pound Georgia product sporadically serves up reminders of his considerable upside, as he did in the preseason opener by hauling in an end-zone interception. But the story of Ringo’s career in coverage as a pro has been his inconsistency. That trend has continued to hold this summer, with his takeaway coming just one play after he was flagged for pass interference.
“You always want to think about being able to move on and play the next play,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said after the game. “That’s mental toughness, having the same attitude, effort, energy and enthusiasm, and so that was good. That was positive to see Kelee come back after that play and make a really nice interception.”
But Sirianni, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and general manager Howie Roseman might not be able to move on so easily from last year’s memories of Ringo’s inability to seize a starting spot. Next to Mac McWilliams and Jonathan Jones, he might not even size up favorably as a backup.
Ringo’s saving grace might be his value as a gunner. Yet special teams contributions alone might not be sufficient to keep him on the roster.
Teams must have their rosters cut to 53 players on Sunday, Aug. 30 by 6 p.m. ET. Teams will start forming their practice squads in after cuts are made.