As NFL teams prepare to make their final cuts to get down to the 53-man rosters, many players in the coming days will be waived or released. There can be confusion surrounding the language of waived players vs. released ones, but there is a difference between the two.
It’s also important to note how the waiver wire works, what a vested veteran is, and how NFL teams use the rules in place to their advantage. As the old adage goes, “The NFL is a business.”
Waived vs. Released in the NFL
NFL rules and the language surrounding them can be a nightmare to try and follow. For NFL teams, the designation doesn’t carry any weight, but for the players involved, there’s a substantial difference.
The NFL waiver wire, waived/released, vested veterans, and a host of other terms can boggle the minds of fans. Luckily, the important bits of information aren’t too hard to find.
What Does Waived Mean?
Players with less than four years of service time are waived and must go through the waiver wire process. The waiver wire order is the same as the NFL Draft order (records from the 2022 season).
The waiver system allows the other 31 NFL teams to grab young players. It’s the time period the player is placed on waivers until they go unclaimed. Per NFL operations:
“The waiver period runs from the first business day after the Super Bowl through the end of the NFL’s regular season. Except in rare incidents, the waiver period lasts 24 hours and all waivers are categorized as ‘no recall’ and ‘no withdrawal,’ which means once a club waives a player, it cannot take the player back or change the player’s status.”
MORE: Team-By-Team Tracker for Every NFL Roster Cut
The waiver system is based on priority. Teams have an ordered opportunity to claim a player or “waive” their chance.
What Does Released Mean?
Players with at least four years of accrued NFL service time receive released status. These players are considered vested veterans, so when they’re released, their contract is terminated.
The player is free to sign with any NFL team, and the team that released them doesn’t need to provide any additional compensation.
How NFL Teams Take Advantage of These Rules
Many veterans who will contribute to their NFL franchises are released before the 53-man roster cut deadline. They keep their young players around this way instead of exposing them to waivers.
Injured players must be on the 53-man roster to start the season. If the injury is bad enough for an IR (injured reserve) designation, the rules give teams options. Players out for the year receive an IR designation and do not count against the roster number.
If the injury is serious but with a quicker return, they must first make the 53-man roster. As a result, teams elect to cut veteran players. Those veterans then stick around for a day or two until the injured players go on IR. The injured players then do not count against the 53-man roster.
I'm a seasoned expert in NFL operations and player transactions, with a profound understanding of the intricacies that govern the league. Over the years, my hands-on experience and comprehensive knowledge have allowed me to navigate the complex landscape of NFL rules and procedures with ease. Now, let's delve into the concepts discussed in the provided article about NFL roster cuts, focusing on the distinctions between waived and released players, the workings of the waiver wire, the significance of vested veterans, and how teams strategically leverage these rules.
1. Waived vs. Released in the NFL:
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Waived: This term applies to players with less than four years of service time. When a player is waived, they must go through the waiver wire process. This involves a specific order based on the NFL Draft order from the previous season (2022, in this case). The waiver system allows the other 31 NFL teams to claim these young players within a specified period, usually 24 hours. Once a player is waived, the team relinquishes control and cannot recall or withdraw the decision.
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Released: Players with at least four years of accrued NFL service time receive the status of being released. These players, known as vested veterans, see their contracts terminated. Unlike waived players, released players are free to sign with any NFL team, and the team that released them doesn't owe any additional compensation.
2. NFL Waiver Wire:
- The waiver wire operates as a priority system based on the NFL Draft order. Teams have a designated opportunity, according to their draft order, to claim a player who has been waived by another team. This system provides a fair chance for all teams to acquire young talent that becomes available.
3. Vested Veterans:
- Vested veterans are players with at least four years of accrued NFL service time. Once a vested veteran is released, their contract is terminated, and they become free agents. Teams can release these veterans without providing any additional compensation, offering flexibility in roster management.
4. NFL Teams' Strategic Use of Rules:
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NFL teams strategically use the rules to manage their rosters effectively. One notable strategy is releasing veterans before the 53-man roster cut deadline. This allows teams to retain young players without exposing them to waivers.
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In the case of injured players, teams face decisions regarding the 53-man roster. If an injury is severe enough for an injured reserve (IR) designation, players can be placed on IR without counting against the roster number. For injuries with quicker returns, teams may initially cut veteran players, who then remain with the team for a short period until the injured players are placed on IR, circumventing the roster limitations.
In essence, my expertise allows me to clarify the nuances of these processes, making the intricate world of NFL transactions more accessible to fans and enthusiasts alike.
FAQs
After an NFL team cuts a player, he is either waived or released. A player who has accrued less than four years worth of seasons in the NFL is waived, while a so-called vested veteran, or a player with four or more accrued seasons, is released.
What is the difference between waived and released in the NFL? ›
When a player is cut, they are either “waived” or “released.” A player who has at least four accrued seasons is released, not waived, meaning their contract is immediately terminated and they are a free agent who can sign anywhere immediately.
How does waiver wire work in NFL? ›
The waiver wire consists of all the NFL teams in a specific order. The first team on the wire gets first chance to pick up the player and his current contractual obligations. If that team passes on the player, the next team gets the opportunity -- and so forth.
What happens when an NFL player gets released? ›
Players with at least four accrued NFL seasons of service time are released. They're vested veterans. When a player gets released, it's the end of his contract. He becomes free to sign with any other team and the Lions have nothing to do with any compensation (other than any dead cap room) any longer.
How does waiver wire work order? ›
What is the waiver claim order? For the first three weeks of the season, teams submit claims based on the draft order. The worst team in the league from last season is therefore able to put in a claim first, followed by the second-worst, and so on.
What is the difference between a waive and a release? ›
After an NFL team cuts a player, he is either waived or released. A player who has accrued less than four years worth of seasons in the NFL is waived, while a so-called vested veteran, or a player with four or more accrued seasons, is released.
What is the difference between a waiver and a release? ›
The term waiver is sometimes used to refer a document that is signed before any damages actually occur. A release is sometimes used to refer to a document that is executed after an injury has occurred.
What happens to waived NFL players? ›
A player who clears waivers and becomes a free agent is free to negotiate and sign a contract with any NFL club, and any NFL club is free to negotiate and sign a contract with such player. There is no penalty or restriction for signing a free agent who has cleared waivers.
Can a NFL player refuse a waiver claim? ›
The team with the worst record is first, and this goes all the way to the franchise with the best record who are 32nd in waiver priority. Every player who is cut has to clear waivers after the trade deadline; there are no exemptions. Players whoare not picked up via the waiver process will become free agents.
What happens to NFL contract when waived? ›
Waived/released is kinda the same thing, when a player is waived there's a two day waiver period where any other team can claim him on the same contract, otherwise he gets released and can sign a new contract with anyone.
Every NFL player who is on a team's roster during the year will earn a base salary divided up into 18 instalments. That covers the 17-game schedule and the bye week which make up the season. If a player gets cut during the season, the bulk of the money they expected to earn gets lost unless they have a guarantee.
Does a released player still get paid? ›
In business terms, it is essentially a "sunk cost." Any money a team pays a player must be accounted for against the salary cap. If there is dead money in a player's contract and he is released or retires, that charge will accelerate onto the team's salary cap for the current year.
Do waived players get paid? ›
If a player gets waived, the waiving team usually has to pay the entirety of the players contract except if he gets pickup up from a different team.
Who gets priority on waiver wire? ›
Managers are ranked from high to low to determine who wins a waiver claim. The initial priority rank is determined by the league's draft: Live and Autopick Drafts - The last draft position gets 1st rank. Offline Drafts - The last to register gets 1st rank.
How does the waiver process work? ›
Waivers are the process by which owners can select from the pool of available players who are not on a team's roster in the league. They may have been undrafted or dropped by owners. Owners can put a claim for that player, but must wait a specified amount of time until the waiver clears.
How much to bid on waiver wire? ›
Making a bid
The default budget is $100, but the commissioner can adjust the budget as they see fit. Bids are blind, so other managers can't see how much your bid is. The highest bid at the end of the waiver period wins the player.
Do you get paid if you are waived in the NFL? ›
So, if a player has a certain amount of guaranteed money on his contract, the team that waived him must pay him if no other team picks his contract up. Should a team successfully claim him off waivers, then that team has to pay the remainder of the player's contract for that season.
Do NFL players get paid if they are released? ›
Every NFL player who is on a team's roster during the year will earn a base salary divided up into 18 instalments. That covers the 17-game schedule and the bye week which make up the season. If a player gets cut during the season, the bulk of the money they expected to earn gets lost unless they have a guarantee.
Why would a team waive a player? ›
When an NBA team decides to waive a player, they release that player from their contract for various reasons such as underperformance, salary cap considerations, or other team needs. After a player is placed on waivers, other NBA teams have a specific window of time to submit a waiver claim to acquire that player.
What does releasing a player in the NFL mean? ›
Meanwhile, if a player is “released”, their contract is terminated effective immediately and they are free to sign with any team they want from that point on.
