American Football
NFL roster cut: Will Levis, Jaydon Blue among surprising moves
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The NFL roster cut deadline is gone, with every team cutting down from 90 players to 53.
Here are five of the most shocking cuts as we approach the start of the 2026 NFL season.
Will Levis, QB, Tennessee Titans
The former starting quarterback for the Titans was cut after battling with Cam Ward and Mitch Trubisky in a difficult preseason.
Levis was drafted by Tennessee in 2023 and was named starter by the start of November of that year.
He entered the 2024 season as QB1, and during the 2025 Draft the Titans drafted Ward No. 1 overall.
Levis missed the 2025 season after having surgery on his throwing shoulder, placing him on season-ending injury reserve.
Jaydon Blue, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Blue was drafted by the Cowboys in 2025 with the No. 149 overall pick, when he signed a four-year rookie deal worth $4.63 million.
Last season, he played five games in which he had a total of 129 rushing yards and one touchdown.
Besides Blue, Dallas cut three other running backs, including 2025 No. 239 overall pick Phill Mafah.
This leaves the Cowboys with Malik Davis and Javonte Adams as their RBs for the season.
Justin Joly, TE, Denver Broncos
No. 126 overall pick in the 2026 Draft, first-team All-ACC 2025 and tight end MVP at the 2026 Senior Bowl, it comes as a surprise that Joly was released by the Broncos.
Through three preseason games, Joly had four receptions, 105 yards, and one touchdown.
Joly did his senior year at NC State, where he averaged 15.4 yards per reception, ranking fourth among all Division I tight ends.
Still a promising prospect in the NFL, Joly shouldn't be out of a team for much time.
Greg Dortch, WR, Detroit Lions
Dortch seemed like an obvious option for the Lions as a primary reserve given his years of experience with the Cardinals.
Across five seasons in Arizona, Dortch recorded 1,310 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.
In March, the wide receiver signed a one-year deal with the Lions for $1.4 million.
Detroit's top wide receivers in their room for the upcoming season are Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.
Jake Browning, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After a somewhat promising run of games with Tampa Bay, Browning did not make the cut as QB2 to Baker Mayfield.
Browning lost the spot to Jalon Daniels after a tough 19-0 loss against the Jaguars for both quarterbacks.
In 2023, Browning became the Bengals' starting quarterback after Joe Burrow's season-ending wrist injury.
The QB finished the season with 1,936 passing yards and 12 touchdowns.
The Buccaneers are one of 12 teams that only kept two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster.
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