7 former Wisconsin Badgers among players released from 53-man rosters on NFL cutdown day

NFL teams trimmed their 90-man training camp rosters down to their final 53 players on Tuesday, leaving hundreds to look for opportunities elsewhere.

Those roster cuts featured several former Wisconsin Badgers who were waived or released, plus a few more who were placed on injured reserve and lost for the season.

Here are the seven ex-Badgers players who saw their NFL dreams take a major hit on cutdown day.

WR Quintez Cephus - Houston Texans

Cephus has had a tumultuous career dating back to his sexual assault accusations and Wisconsin and his gambling suspension in the NFL, but his late addition to the Texans this preseason made him a longshot to stick on the team.

WR Bryson Green - Arizona Cardinals

Green signed with the Cardinals as an undrafted free agent this spring after two seasons with the Badgers. He showed some real promise in 2023 with 32 catches for 480 yards, but his production dipped for his senior season at Wisconsin, leading to his lack of NFL Draft interest. He could stick on the practice squad in Arizona.

WR Kendric Pryor - Cincinnati Bengals

Pryor keeps finding his way back to the Bengals, spending the last two seasons on their practice squad after initially joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He played 59 games over six years in Madison and quietly finished Top 25 in program history for career receiving yards.

TE Hayden Rucci - Miami Dolphins

Rucci only had 17 catches for 200 yards across his five years with Wisconsin, but it was enough to earn him a practice squad spot with the Dolphins last year and an invite back to training camp in 2025.

OL Michael Dieter - Washington Commanders

Dieter has the best chance of any of these former Badgers to land on another team's 53-man roster after being cut by the Commanders. He has 35 starts across his six NFL seasons, after setting a school record with 54 consecutive starts at Wisconsin. He is experienced and versatile enough to play multiple positions up front. That's valuable.

LB Maema Njongmeta - Cincinnati Bengals

Njongmeta made his way onto the Bengals' 53-man roster last season as an undrafted rookie, but he couldn't repeat his success in 2025. He proved himself as a reliable linebacker at Wisconsin who deserved to be drafted, and he has a great chance to wind up back on the roster in Cincinnati as the season wears on.

LB Jake Chaney - Indianapolis Colts

Chaney had been helping out on the sidelines of Wisconsin fall camp practices when he got the call from the Colts. He was a late addition to training camp and barely got to play in the preseason, but he's not giving up his pro playing career, even as he keeps an eye to a future of coaching.