The process by which released players are made available to all other teams before becoming free agents. Waiver priority is determined by reverse order of the current standings, giving the worst teams first claim.
The NFL waiver system is a mechanism that gives all teams the opportunity to claim players who have been released by other teams. When a player is waived, they are placed on the waiver wire for a 24-hour period (during the regular season) during which any team can submit a claim. If multiple teams claim the same player, the team with the highest waiver priority (determined by inverse order of the current standings) is awarded the player. Waiver rules vary based on timing and player experience. During the offseason through the final roster cutdown, all players regardless of experience must pass through waivers when released. After cutdowns and during the regular season, only players with fewer than four accrued seasons must go through waivers. Vested veterans (four or more accrued seasons) who are released become unrestricted free agents immediately and can sign with any team. When a team claims a player off waivers, they assume the player's existing contract in full, including all remaining salary and bonus obligations. This is an important consideration -- claiming a player with a large remaining salary can have significant cap implications. After the trade deadline (which now falls in November), players who clear waivers become free agents. The waiver system ensures competitive balance by giving struggling teams priority access to available talent.
During the 2024 cut-down weekend, hundreds of players were placed on waivers as teams reduced from 90 to 53 players. Teams with the worst records from the prior season had the highest waiver priority, giving them first pick of the available talent before it reached free agency.
Category: Roster Management. Part of the StickToTheModel NFL Encyclopedia.