NFL Cut Date: When must Bengals trim roster down to 53 players?

NFL cut day is a great day for some players on the roster bubble who find out that all the hard work they put in over the offseason paid off with a roster spot. For other players, not so much. For those players, cut day represents a deferred dream, but not the end of the road. It's an emotional day all around, but also one that needs to be circled on the calendar.

When are the 2024 cut dates for the Bengals?

The way that the NFL handles cuts leading up to the regular season is different than it used to be.. The league used to have several different cut dates, with rosters getting trimmed incrementally. But, that is no longer the case. The league now just utilizes a single cut day to trim rosters from 90 at the start of camp down to 53. So, when is that date?

This year, the cut date is Tuesday, August 27. All cuts must occur prior to 4 p.m. ET on that date.

The single, later cut date is good because it affords the Bengals -- and all teams -- an extended opportunity to evaluate all of their players and make the difficult decisions that come with shaping a roster. The cut date comes after all three of Cincinnati's preseason games.

The Bengals will open the preseason by hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Aug. 10, followed by a road game against the Chicago Bears on Aug. 17. Cincinnati's final preseason game will come at home against the Indianapolis Colts on Aug. 22.

Those game are important for all players, but especially for players who are on the roster bubble. Starters typically see very limited action in the preseason, while reserves and depth pieces see the bulk of the snaps. How they perform in those preseason contests could be the difference between securing a spot on the regular season roster, or not.

The Bengals kick off the regular season at home against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Sept. 8.