The Green Bay Packers face a tight 48-hour window to trim their roster from 90 to 53 players by Sunday evening. General manager Brian Gutekunst manages roster rules and early season deadlines ahead of the 2026 NFL season, balancing trades, releases, and commissioner-exempt list designations.
Sunday, August 30, 2026, marks the league deadline for teams to reduce their rosters down from 90 players to 53. The NFL set the cutdown deadline for 6:00 PM Eastern Time (5:00 Central), an odd time compared to recent deadlines. Recent years have seen the league require cuts come in on the Tuesday following the final week of preseason games, giving front offices a few extra days.
Roster Cutdown Deadline Shifted for Australia Game
This year, however, the league’s decision to hold a game in Australia in week one led it to push the cutdown date a bit earlier. Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst revealed that in a press conference earlier this week, noting that while not a fan of the shift, there’s not really anything he or the other 31 GMs around the league can do about it.
That means that the Packers will have a little less than 48 hours from the completion of their final preseason game (around 10 PM Central on Friday night) to the cut-down deadline. Running back Josh Jacobs was placed on the commissioner-exempt list to start the 2026 regular season, which means that he won’t be on the 53-man roster to start the year. Green Bay’s roster count is currently 58 players, so they have five more cuts or injured reserve placements to go.
Backfield Moves and Trades Ahead of the 2026 Season
Given the tumult in their backfield, the Green Bay Packers were not going to let the NFL’s cutdown day pass without getting a running back. The Packers also reportedly are completing a trade for Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson, a 2025 third-round draft pick.
Josh Jacobs will open the 2026 season on the commissioner’s exempt list, creating the additional spot. While on the exempt list, Jacobs will receive pay but will not be eligible to participate in practices or games. The Packers also released running back Pierre Strong Jr., a source said.
Acquisitions and Training Camp Cuts Shape the 53-Man Limit
The Packers acquired tight end Mark Redman from the Los Angeles Rams, according to a report from NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Redman went undrafted in 2025 after playing college football at Louisville and signed with the Rams as a rookie free agent. He spent last season on the Rams practice squad but did not see any regular-season action.
The Packers are waiving edge rusher Nyjalik Kelly and offensive lineman Dylan Barrett, according to a source. The Packers will hope Kelly clears waivers so they can bring him back to the practice squad. Kelly played an outstanding final preseason game against Arizona with six total tackles, a sack and an interception. Barrett, who played guard in college, spent time at center during training camp for the Packers. Could be another possible practice squad player.
The Packers are keeping wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant on their 53-man roster, according to a source. It’s unclear how many receivers they’re keeping, but after a standout game against Arizona, Green Bay is keeping him.
PUP List Status and League-Wide Roster Designations
The Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list is one mechanism for teams to keep players on their roster in a reserve role if they failed a physical exam before training camp, went on the active/PUP list to start camp, and stayed there all summer long. Players who go on reserve/PUP to start the regular season do not count against the 53-man limit, but they may not be activated until after their team’s fourth regular season game, though they can start practicing after two games have passed.
The Packers have four players still on the active/PUP who are eligible for the reserve/PUP to start the season: Luke Musgrave, Matt Orzech, Micah Parsons, and Jordon Riley. Parsons has generally been targeting the Packers’ week 6 game against his old team, the Dallas Cowboys, for his return. Perhaps surprisingly, he is not seen as one of the favorites to win the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award; FanDuel sportsbook has his odds at just +3500, good for 10th in the NFL. That slots in behind teammate Tucker Kraft (7th, +2700), while a host of quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Kyler Murray, and Jayden Daniels lead the way.
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