NFL Cut Candidates 2026: 20 Notable Players Who Could Be Released
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The Most Famous Names on the NFL’s Chopping Block
Tyreek Hill is already gone. Bradley Chubb is gone too. And we’re just getting started.
Before NFL free agency officially opens on March 9, 2026, every team must get under the salary cap by the start of the new league year on March 11. That’s less than three weeks away. And there is a lot of spring cleaning left to do.
This year’s crop of potential NFL cut candidates is headlined by some genuinely surprising names. A quarterback who just got restructured is almost certainly out. A former perennial Pro Bowl receiver hasn’t come close to justifying his contract. And a cornerback whose trade was described as a disaster may be cut without a single dollar in dead cap consequences.
Here are 20 notable players who could be released in the coming weeks, with cap figures courtesy of Over The Cap and analysis from USA Today, NFL.com, Fox Sports, and NBC Sports.
1. Why So Many Cuts Happen Before March 11
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The NFL’s salary cap for 2026 is expected to be approximately $279 million per team. Many rosters are significantly over that number on paper, with contract commitments made in previous years now coming due.
When a player is released, the team saves the remaining base salary and roster bonus but typically absorbs “dead cap” — the previously guaranteed money that still counts against the cap. The art of cutting players is about finding situations where the dead cap hit is low enough that the savings justify moving on.
A “post-June 1 designation” is a special tool that allows teams to spread a player’s dead cap hit across two years rather than absorbing it all in one season. Teams get two of these per year, so they’re used strategically on the biggest cap-saving opportunities.
2. Already Cut: Tyreek Hill & Bradley Chubb (Miami Dolphins)
The Dolphins kicked off the 2026 offseason cut season aggressively. New GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley wasted no time signaling a rebuild by releasing four players on Monday, February 17: wide receiver Tyreek Hill, edge rusher Bradley Chubb, wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and guard James Daniels.
The four cuts freed over $56 million in cap space. That’s a significant statement of intent for a franchise that finished 2025 well below expectations and is now aggressively repositioning.
What This Means for the Market
Hill, 32, is one of the most electric pass catchers of his era. He will have significant interest despite his age. Chubb’s release is more straightforward — he’s been dealing with injury issues and his production no longer justified his contract.
3. Complete 20-Player NFL Cut Candidates Master Table (2026)
Note: projection based on contract/production analysis. All cap figures from Over The Cap as of Feb. 19, 2026.
| Player | Team | Pos | 2026 Cap Hit | Potential Savings | Cut Likelihood |
| Tyreek Hill | MIA | WR | N/A | $21M+ | ALREADY CUT |
| Bradley Chubb | MIA | EDGE | N/A | $17M+ | ALREADY CUT |
| Tua Tagovailoa | MIA | QB | ~$55M (dead) | Trade preferred | VERY HIGH |
| Kirk Cousins | ATL | QB | Restructured | Significant | VERY HIGH |
| Geno Smith | LV | QB | ~$18M guar. | ~$18M | HIGH |
| Marlon Humphrey | BAL | CB | $26.3M | $7.3M | MODERATE |
| Calvin Ridley | TEN | WR | ~$23M | ~$13.7M | HIGH |
| Michael Pittman Jr. | IND | WR | $29M | $24M | HIGH |
| T.J. Hockenson | MIN | TE | $21.3M | $8.9M–$16M | HIGH |
| Joe Mixon | HOU | RB | ~$8M | ~$8M | HIGH |
| Dawson Knox | BUF | TE | ~$14M | ~$9.7M | HIGH |
| D.J. Moore | CHI | WR | ~$22M | Significant | MODERATE-HIGH |
| Marshon Lattimore | WSH | CB | $18.5M cap sav. | $18.5M | HIGH |
| Kenny Clark | DAL | DT | $20M | $20M | MODERATE-HIGH |
| Aidan Hutchinson* | DET | EDGE | ~$18M | ~$9M | LOW-MODERATE |
| James Conner | ARI | RB | ~$9.5M | ~$8M+ | HIGH |
| Marcedes Lewis* | GB | TE | ~$6M | ~$6M | HIGH |
| Javon Kinlaw* | Various | DT | Varies | Varies | PENDING |
| Devin Singletary | NYG | RB | ~$7M | $5.25M | HIGH |
| Tedric Thompson | Various | S | Varies | Varies | MODERATE |
4. Quarterback Cut Candidates: Tua, Cousins & Geno Smith
Tua Tagovailoa — Miami Dolphins
The Tua situation is the most complex on this list. Cutting him before June 1 would create a catastrophic $99.2 million dead cap hit. That’s not happening. The Dolphins’ best path is a pre-June 1 trade ($45.2M dead cap, $11M savings) or a post-June 1 trade that spreads the pain across two years.
In 14 games in 2025, Tagovailoa posted a 67.7% completion rate and a 20:15 TD-to-INT ratio — decent but not franchise-QB numbers. His value is real but the contract is brutal. Miami appears to be moving on; the question is how and when.
Kirk Cousins — Atlanta Falcons
A January restructure of Cousins’ contract strongly signaled he won’t be back for a third season in Atlanta. The restructure spread money forward to create short-term cap relief, a common precursor to a release. Cousins’ play in 2025 didn’t justify his original contract, and the Falcons appear ready to move in a different direction.
Geno Smith — Las Vegas Raiders
Smith, 35, struggled in Las Vegas and carries $18 million guaranteed into 2026. With the Raiders likely holding the No. 1 overall pick and eyeing a franchise quarterback in the draft, Smith is expendable. A trade is possible. Fox Sports notes he could be a veteran bridge QB fit for a team like Indianapolis.
5. Wide Receiver Cut Candidates: Ridley, Pittman & Moore
Calvin Ridley — Tennessee Titans
Ridley’s four-year, $92 million deal was signed by the previous regime and he’s never come close to justifying it. In seven games in 2025 due to a broken fibula, he totaled just 17 catches for 303 yards. Cutting him nets roughly $13.7 million in cap savings. The Titans have $103.5 million in available cap space, so they’re not desperate — but there’s little reason to keep paying for underperformance.
Michael Pittman Jr. — Indianapolis Colts
Pittman’s $29 million cap hit would rank sixth-highest for any receiver in the league. In 2025, he tallied 784 yards — a complementary-receiver number, not a top-6-paid-receiver number. The Colts could save $24 million by cutting him and still have rising receiver Alec Pierce as their top option. This is a strong cut candidate.
D.J. Moore — Chicago Bears
Moore is more a moderate candidate than a certainty. The Bears are in a tight cap situation with barely $1 million in projected space. Moving on from Moore would free significant room. However, he’s still a legitimate receiver and the team may prefer a restructure. If Luther Burden is ready to step into a larger role, Moore’s days in Chicago could be numbered.
6. Tight End Cut Candidates: Hockenson & Knox
T.J. Hockenson — Minnesota Vikings
Hockenson carries the highest cap hit among all tight ends in the league at $21.3 million. The problem: he’s totaled just 92 catches for 893 yards and 3 touchdowns across his last 25 games. That’s a steep decline from the player who earned that extension. Minnesota can save $8.9 million with a pre-June 1 cut or $16 million post-June 1. Given their cap constraints, the release looks likely.
Dawson Knox — Buffalo Bills
Knox signed a lucrative four-year extension in 2022, hit 517 yards that season, and has combined for just 914 yards in the three years since. He’s produced fewer yards in three post-extension seasons than Kyle Pitts managed in 2025 alone. Releasing Knox saves the Bills approximately $9.7 million — money they could use to pursue a true No. 1 wide receiver in free agency.
7. Running Back Cut Candidates: Mixon, Conner & Singletary
Joe Mixon — Houston Texans
Houston’s ground game ranked 29th in yards per carry in 2025. Mixon provides little in the way of dynamic playmaking at this stage of his career, and cutting him frees $8 million in cap space. The Texans need a more explosive ball carrier either in free agency or the draft. Moving on from Mixon makes the math easier for Houston to pursue upgrades.
James Conner — Arizona Cardinals
Conner will turn 32 shortly after the draft and has never played a full NFL season. He missed most of 2025 with an ankle injury. On a team committed to a rebuild, there’s no incentive to keep a 32-year-old, injury-prone running back who carries no dead cap if released. This is a near-certainty.
Devin Singletary — New York Giants
Singletary posted just 411 yards on 3.7 yards per carry in 2025. He was clearly bested by Tyrone Tracy Jr. when Cam Skattebo was injured. The Giants can save $5.25 million by cutting him and are likely to invest in a rookie running back via the draft anyway. His best years are well behind him.
8. Defensive Cut Candidates: Humphrey, Lattimore & Clark
Marlon Humphrey — Baltimore Ravens
Humphrey allowed the most receiving yards in coverage (831) of any cornerback in the entire league in 2025, per Next Gen Stats. He surrendered a 66.3% completion rate and 8.7 yards per target. His teammates Nate Wiggins and Chidobe Awuzie both outperformed him despite earning less. Humphrey carries a $26.3 million cap hit. Cutting him saves $7.3 million — not a massive number, but the production simply doesn’t justify the contract.
Marshon Lattimore — Washington Commanders
This one is an easy call. Cutting Lattimore saves the Commanders $18.5 million with zero dead cap hit. The trade that brought him to Washington involved multiple draft picks and he never performed at the level expected. A torn ACL further complicates his status. A to Z Sports called this “the most obvious cut candidate” on Washington’s roster. It’s hard to argue otherwise.
Kenny Clark — Dallas Cowboys
Clark was acquired from Green Bay as part of the Micah Parsons trade return. He carries a $20 million cap hit with zero dead cap — meaning the Cowboys can cut him for $20 million in pure cap savings. Dallas already has Quinnen Williams and Osa Odighizuwa on the interior. Clark is a redundant piece on the worst defense in the NFL in 2025. Fox Sports projects he could follow Joe Barry to Miami if released.
9. What ‘Post-June 1 Designation’ Means — And Why It Matters
This is one of the most misunderstood concepts in NFL cap management. Here’s the simple version.
When a team releases a player, any guaranteed money left on the contract becomes “dead cap” — it still counts against the cap even though the player is gone. Normally, all of that dead cap hits in the current year.
A post-June 1 designation splits that dead cap across two seasons. Half hits in the current year, half in the following year. This gives teams more flexibility in the short term — they might take a $7 million hit this year instead of $14 million — at the cost of slightly restricting the following year’s cap.
Teams get two post-June 1 designations per offseason. They save them for their highest-cap-impact situations. You’ll see this term a lot in the coming weeks with players like Hockenson, Armstead, and others.
10. Key Takeaways
- All 32 NFL teams must be salary cap-compliant by March 11, 2026 — the start of the new league year
- The Miami Dolphins already released Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and James Daniels, clearing over $56M in cap space
- Tua Tagovailoa’s release/trade is complex due to a massive dead cap hit; a trade is the most likely path
- Kirk Cousins’ January contract restructure strongly signals he won’t return to Atlanta
- Calvin Ridley, Michael Pittman Jr., and Dawson Knox are high-probability cuts based on contract vs. production
- Marshon Lattimore is arguably the cleanest cut in the league — $18.5M savings, zero dead cap
- Post-June 1 designations allow teams to spread dead cap across two years; each team gets two per offseason
- The volume of marquee names in this cycle reflects years of aggressive contract structures now coming due simultaneously
11. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When do NFL teams need to be under the salary cap?
All 32 NFL teams must be compliant with the 2026 salary cap by March 11, 2026 — the start of the new league year. Free agency officially opens two days earlier, on March 9.
Who has already been cut in the 2026 NFL offseason?
The Miami Dolphins have released Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and James Daniels as of February 17, 2026, clearing over $56 million in cap space.
Will Tua Tagovailoa be cut or traded?
Tua Tagovailoa is widely expected to leave Miami, but a straight cut is financially catastrophic due to the dead cap. A pre-June 1 trade creates $45.2M in dead cap but $11M in savings. A trade is the most likely path.
Who is the easiest NFL cut in 2026?
Marshon Lattimore of the Washington Commanders may be the cleanest cut available. His release saves $18.5 million in cap space with zero dead cap hit, making it a pure financial positive.
What is a post-June 1 designation in the NFL?
A post-June 1 designation allows teams to split a released player’s dead cap hit across two seasons instead of absorbing it all in one year. Teams receive two such designations per offseason and use them for their highest-impact cap savings.
Is Kirk Cousins being released by the Falcons?
A January 2026 restructure of Cousins’ contract strongly signals Atlanta will part ways with him. The restructure spread guaranteed money forward, a common precursor to a post-restructure release.
Which wide receivers could be released in 2026?
Notable wide receiver cut candidates in 2026 include Calvin Ridley (TEN), Michael Pittman Jr. (IND), D.J. Moore (CHI), and Tyreek Hill (already released by MIA).
Sources
- USA Today / Yahoo Sports — “NFL cut candidates: 20 notable players who could be released in 2026” (Feb. 19, 2026)
- com — “2026 NFL free agency: Kirk Cousins, Alvin Kamara among notable NFC cut candidates”
- com — “2026 NFL free agency: Tua Tagovailoa, Geno Smith among notable AFC cut candidates”
- Fox Sports — “2026 NFL Free Agency: Top 25 Potential Salary Cap Cuts This Offseason”
- NBC Sports / Rotoworld — “2026 NFL Cut Candidates for All 32 Teams”
- Over The Cap (overthecap.com) — All salary cap figures
- Pro Football Network — “2026 NFL Cut Candidates: D.J. Moore, Calvin Ridley, Tua Among Top 10”
- A to Z Sports — “Three cut candidates for Commanders” (Feb. 17, 2026)
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