The Detroit Lions are heading into the most unforgiving part of the preseason calendar. By 6 p.m. ET Sunday, every NFL team has to get down to 53 players, and for Detroit that means trimming 38 names from a 91-man offseason roster in about a day after Saturday’s preseason finale.
That’s where the waiver wire comes in, and for the Lions it could matter a lot. Any player with fewer than four credited seasons falls into the “waived” bucket instead of being “released,” which means he can be claimed by another team and have his contract carried over. Players with four or more credited seasons hit free agency immediately.
Detroit has plenty of players who fit that waived category this offseason. In all, 57 of the Lions’ 91 players have fewer than four credited seasons, including projected starters Jahmyr Gibbs, Sione Vaki, Isaac TeSlaa, Sam LaPorta, Christian Mahogany, Tate Ratledge, and Brian Branch.
The full group of waiver-eligible Lions also includes QB Luke Altmyer; RBs Jacob Saylors, Jabari Small, Trayveon Williams, and Roydell Williams; WRs Tay Martin, Dominic Lovett, Malik Cunningham, Lucky Jackson, and Tarik Black; TEs Jackson Meeks, Thomas Gordon, and Zach Horton; OLs Blake Miller, Juice Scruggs, Miles Frazier, Seth McLaughlin, Mason Miller, Devin Cochran, Giovanni Manu, Melvin Priestly, Michael Niese, Colby Sorsdal, and Gus Hartwig; DTs Tyleik Williams, Chris Smith, Skyler Gill-Howard, and Mekhi Wingo; DL Tyre West; EDGE rushers Tyler Lacy, Derrick Moore, Ahmed Hassanein, Anthony Lucas, and Eric O’Neill; LBs Jimmy Rolder, Trevor Nowaske, and Erick Hunter; CBs Ennis Rakestraw, Nick Whiteside, Keith Abney, Ryan Cooper, Ekow Boye-Doe, and Eric Scott; DBs Christian Izien, Thomas Harper, Aamaris Brown, and Jason Taylor II; plus S Jake Bates and LS Hogan Hatten.
If Detroit wants to add someone who gets waived elsewhere, the Lions won’t be at the front of the line. Their waiver priority sits 17th, based on last year’s draft order.
That puts 16 teams ahead of them, starting with the Las Vegas Raiders and running through the Indianapolis Colts before Detroit’s turn. Minnesota, Carolina, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, the Chargers, Eagles, Jaguars, Bears, Bills, Texans, 49ers, Rams, Broncos, Patriots, and Seahawks round out the rest of the order.
The claiming window opens right after cutdowns at 6 p.m. ET Sunday and runs until 1 p.m.
ET Monday. After that, the league sorts through the claims and awards players according to that priority list.
If a team claims a waived player, he goes straight onto the 53-man roster, and the club has until the end of the business day to clear space. If the cut player is also waiver-eligible, he then enters the same process himself, with his own window opening at 4 p.m. ET and closing the next day around noon.
Players who clear waivers become unrestricted free agents and can sign anywhere, including to a practice squad.
In Other News...
Lions 53-Man Roster Leaves One Big Question Fans Wont Ignore
The Lions initial 53-man roster for 2026 came with a few choices that stood out immediately, starting with a group that looks heavier at running back than most teams would carry and thinner at receiver than fans might have expected. There was also a notable call at tight end, where Jackson Meeks made the cut over Tyler Conklin, while the defensive line leaned toward pass-rushing upside more than brute size. For a roster that usually invites close reading, this one offered plenty to sort through right away.
The biggest thing left hanging is the kind of special-teams detail that can shape a roster spot just as much as any depth-chart battle. With no clear punt returner identified and some players who seemed to have a path to the team ending up on the outside, the Lions may not be done adjusting this group yet. That leaves the final version of the roster still open to a few more changes in the coming days, which is exactly the sort of unfinished business that keeps this time of year interesting. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Still Have One Roster Squeeze To Navigate After Cutdown Day
The Lions got through cutdown day by trimming to their official 53-man roster, but the work is not done yet. With several players out on the NFL waiver wire and the waiver claim deadline looming, Detroit is still sorting through the final layer of roster business that every team has to navigate after the initial cuts are in.
Sitting 17th in the waiver order, the Lions have a chance to make more claims while also trying to keep some familiar faces close if they make it through unclaimed. Cornerback Nick Whiteside is one name the team would like to bring back on the practice squad, and he is not alone. Mason Miller, Luke Altmyer, Tyre West, Lucky Jackson, Dominic Lovett, and Dan Jackson are among the other players Detroit could look to circle back to once the waiver process plays out. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Sent A Clear Message With Their First Practice Squad Choices
The first practice squad move after cutdowns gave a decent read on how the Lions are sorting through the back end of the roster. Detroit kept a number of the waived players who cleared, building out the initial 2026 group with familiar depth and developmental pieces, while also choosing to move on from running back Trayveon Williams rather than circle back with a return to the practice squad.
Luke Altmyer was among the players retained, a sign the Lions want to keep working with the rookie quarterback as he settles in behind the scenes. Altmyer also offered some perspective on the preseason interception he threw, a small reminder that Detroit is still using these early roster decisions to balance short-term depth with longer-term evaluation. [Read more 🡒]