An unusually long preseason for the Detroit Lions is winding down, with a fourth preseason game expected to help narrow the roster down to 53 players.

NFL teams carry up to 90 players on their respective rosters during the offseason, but will have to cut nearly half before the regular season kicks off. This will leave more than 1,000 players looking for work, though many will be able to find spots on practice squads, which hold up to 17 players.

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We got a firsthand look at some of the process that head coach Dan Campbell, general manager Brad Holmes, and other Lions decision makers have to go through in 2022 when the team was featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” Players like Craig Reynolds and Tom Kennedy were on the chopping block, but the team held onto Reynolds and let Kennedy go — though Kennedy remained a frequent fringe roster player for the seasons to follow.

“Put his picture on that sign of ‘grit’ down there, that’s what we should do,” Campbell said of Reynolds at the time. Reynolds is now the go-to backup behind the Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery tandem.

This season, players like undrafted rookie defensive end Keith Cooper Jr. and veteran linebacker Zach Cunningham are in crowded position rooms and could be at risk despite showing some promise in camp. Cooper Jr., Cunningham, and dozens of other players will be looking to solidify their futures in the coming days.

Here’s what to know about the Lions’ 2025 roster cuts:

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When is the 2025 roster cut deadline?

Teams have until 4 p.m. ET on Aug. 26 to officially shed their active roster to 53 players.

The NFL previously had multiple roster cut deadlines in the buildup to Week 1, but eliminated those deadlines in favor of one final 53-man decision at the end of training camp. The change allows coaches to further evaluate players for a longer period before having to cut them loose.

When will the Lions announce their final cuts?

Like the rest of the league, the Lions must adhere to the Aug. 26 deadline, but they can announce their cuts much earlier.

The Lions will play the Houston Texans on Saturday in their preseason finale. Teams often begin announcing cuts immediately following their last preseason game, but others may wait until the actual deadline day.

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In 2024, the Lions announced a handful of cuts the day before the deadline and the final wave of cuts the day of. They also initially cut down to a 52-man roster, leaving a spot open to be filled later.

When can the Lions sign practice squad players?

The Lions can start building their practice squads on Aug. 27 at 12 p.m. ET. At that point, all clubs will have been notified of a player getting cut from the roster and will have the opportunity to sign them to a practice squad contract.

Training camp officially ends on the league calendar on Aug. 31. The Lions begin their regular season Sept. 7 on the road against the Green Bay Packers.

This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions roster cuts 2025: 53-man roster deadline and things to know