Samwise NFL Newsletter
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Aaron Donald Ends Two-Year Retirement, Returns to Los Angeles Rams on $20 Million Deal
Defensive tackle Aaron Donald is returning to the Los Angeles Rams after two years in retirement, agreeing to a one-year contract worth $20 million with incentives that could reach $30 million, sources confirmed Sunday. Donald, 35, who last played for Los Angeles in 2023, publicly alluded to a possible comeback after the Rams acquired reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett in June, saying the trade got him thinking. Donald worked out with the team twice in August before committing. He joins a Rams defensive line that already includes Garrett, giving Los Angeles one of the most formidable pass-rushing duos in the league.
NFL Suspends Packers RB Josh Jacobs Indefinitely via Commissioner’s Exempt List
The NFL placed Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs on the Commissioner’s Exempt List on Sunday, preventing him from practicing or playing at the start of the 2026 regular season. The designation stems from Jacobs’ May arrest in Wisconsin, where he faced five charges including strangulation and suffocation and battery-domestic abuse. The Brown County District Attorney later reduced the charges to two misdemeanors — misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property. Jacobs will continue to receive his salary while on the list, but only the Commissioner holds authority to remove him. There is no set timetable for his reinstatement.
NFL Cutdown Day: 1,184 Players Released as All 32 Teams Finalize 53-Man Rosters
All 32 NFL teams trimmed their active rosters to 53 players by the 6 p.m. ET deadline on Sunday, releasing a total of 1,184 players in one of the most active roster-reshaping periods of the 2026 preseason. For the first time in 22 years, the league moved the final cutdown deadline to a Sunday, a scheduling adjustment made to accommodate the San Francisco 49ers’ international opener against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia on September 10. Notable players released included quarterback Will Levis, offensive linemen Evan Neal and Jedrick Wills Jr., and running back Trey Benson.
Sources: CBS Sports
Titans Release Will Levis; Former Second-Round Pick Goes Unclaimed on Waivers
The Tennessee Titans released quarterback Will Levis on Sunday, ending a three-year stay for the 2023 second-round pick who never fully established himself as the starter in Nashville. The Titans proceed with 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward as their starting quarterback, alongside Mitchell Trubisky as backup. No NFL team claimed Levis on the waiver wire, and he became an unrestricted free agent on Monday, per CBS Sports. Levis had been sidelined throughout the 2026 preseason with a shoulder injury. He remains eligible to sign with any team or join a practice squad.
Sources: CBS Sports
Chicago Bears Trade Gervon Dexter Sr. to Atlanta Falcons in Cutdown-Day Swap
The Chicago Bears traded defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in exchange for cornerback Clark Phillips III and a fifth-round draft pick, according to ESPN. Dexter, 24, was a second-round pick by Chicago in 2023 and accumulated 11 sacks in two seasons as a starter. He was entering the final year of his rookie contract. Atlanta general manager Ian Cunningham previously served as the Bears’ assistant GM and was familiar with Dexter from his time in Chicago. Phillips, 24, was a fourth-round pick by the Falcons in 2023 who missed most of 2025 with a triceps injury.
Miami Dolphins Lead NFL Waiver Wire, Claiming Seven Players After Cutdown Day
The Miami Dolphins emerged as the most aggressive team on the 2026 NFL waiver wire, claiming seven players in the 24 hours following Sunday’s cutdown deadline, according to CBS Sports. The waiver wire order mirrored the 2026 NFL Draft order, giving teams with lower draft positions — including the Las Vegas Raiders, who held the top waiver priority — first access to claimed players. Among the players who cleared waivers without being claimed was former Titans quarterback Will Levis, who became an unrestricted free agent on Monday. Former first-round picks Evan Neal and Mazi Smith also went unclaimed.
Sources: CBS Sports
Odell Beckham Jr. Makes New York Giants’ Initial 53-Man Roster in New York Comeback
Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. secured a spot on the New York Giants’ initial 53-man roster on Sunday, completing a sentimental return to the franchise where he became one of the most electrifying players in the NFL. The Giants confirmed Beckham’s roster inclusion as teams finalized their 53-man rosters ahead of the season opener. Beckham, who made his NFL name in New York before being traded to Cleveland in 2019, returns after stints with the Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, and Miami Dolphins. He played nine games for Miami in 2024, catching nine passes, before joining the Giants this offseason.
Former Top-10 Picks Jedrick Wills Jr. and Evan Neal Navigate Post-Cutdown Free Agency
Several former high-profile NFL draft selections found themselves navigating free agency following Sunday’s roster cutdown, including offensive tackles Jedrick Wills Jr. and Evan Neal, each taken in the top ten of their respective drafts. Wills Jr., the 2020 No. 10 overall pick who spent five seasons with Cleveland before being released by Chicago, signed with the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad, per NFL.com’s practice squad tracker. Neal, the 2022 No. 7 overall pick, was released by the Giants and went unclaimed on the waiver wire. Both players represent the challenge of developing offensive line talent selected at the top of the draft.
AFC Preseason Records
Regular season opens September 9
| Team | W | L | T |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC East | |||
| Buffalo Bills | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| New England Patriots | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| New York Jets | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Miami Dolphins | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| AFC North | |||
| Baltimore Ravens | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Cleveland Browns | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| AFC South | |||
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Tennessee Titans | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Houston Texans | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| AFC West | |||
| Denver Broncos | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 0 | 2 | 1 |
NFC Preseason Records
Regular season opens September 9
| Team | W | L | T |
|---|---|---|---|
| NFC East | |||
| New York Giants | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Washington Commanders | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| NFC North | |||
| Chicago Bears | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Green Bay Packers | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Detroit Lions | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| NFC South | |||
| Carolina Panthers | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| New Orleans Saints | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| NFC West | |||
| Los Angeles Rams | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 1 | 3 | 0 |
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency