The NFL waiver wire order is always worth monitoring, especially when all 32 NFL teams reduce their rosters from 90 to 53 ahead of the Aug. 27 deadline.
In recent years, teams have added impact contributors on the NFL waiver wire. Given some of the surprises that arrive each summer, that promises to continue. Below, we’ll look at the updated waiver wire order. But before that, let’s break down what it means.
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What is the NFL waiver wire?
Teams have to place players on waivers when they have not accrued four years of vested experience. Those who have, are released. This means that they can enter NFL free agency and sign with a team of their choosing.
Should a player pass through waivers, he can hit the open market or re-sign to the practice squad with his current team. The NFL waiver wire order is based on overall league standings from the previous season. A team can pick up any number of players off the waiver wire. This means that if a certain squad is No. 1 in the order, it can pick up ten players before the team the No. 2 team has a go at it.
2024 NFL waiver wire order
- Carolina Panthers
- Washington Commanders
- New England Patriots
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Chargers
- New York Giants
- Tennessee Titans
- Atlanta Falcons
- Chicago Bears
- New York Jets
- Minnesota Vikings
- Denver Broncos
- Las Vegas Raiders
- New Orleans Saints
- Indianapolis Colts
- Seattle Seahawks
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Los Angeles Rams
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Miami Dolphins
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Cleveland Browns
- Dallas Cowboys
- Green Bay Packers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Houston Texans
- Buffalo Bills
- Detroit Lions
- Baltimore Ravens
- San Francisco 49ers
- Kansas City Chiefs
For now, this is the 2024 waiver wire order. The order will start changing after Week 3.
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Who has the highest waiver wire priority in the NFL?
Right now, the Carolina Panthers have the highest waiver wire priority in the NFL because they had the league’s worst record during the 2023 regular season.
What determines the NFL waiver wire order?
The NFL standings determine the NFL waiver wire order. Once the playoffs arrive, the waiver wire order is locked in based on that season’s regular season standings. This NFL waiver wire order follows the previous season’s standings until Week 3 of the following season. At that point, the NFL waiver wire order goes in accordance with the current season’s standings.
What is the timeline for the NFL waiver wire?
The normal waiver period in the NFL is 24 hours. Unless it’s during the final roster cutdowns from 90 to 53 players. At that point, the waiver period is shortened to end at 12 PM ET on the following day.
From the end of Week 18 of the regular season to Week 4 of the following season, the NFL waiver wire order will follow the regular season standings. Once Week 4 begins, the new NFL waiver wire order for the current season begins, which follows the current year’s standings.
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