Dolphins Heading Into Busy Week

Breaking down the key dates over the next days

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel walks on the field during training camp at Baptist Health Training Complex. | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins will face the Jacksonville Jaguars in their final preseason game at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, but it's what will happen in the days after that will hold the most significance as the team prepares for the start of the regular season.

Next week is cutdown week in the NFL, with teams putting together their 53-man roster, first by chopping down their current 90-player groups and then making tweaks by claiming players off waivers and assembling their practice squad.

Here's a breakdown of the key dates coming up:

NFL CUTDOWN DAY

Tuesday August 26

Prior to 4 ET, clubs must reduce rosters to a maximum of 53 players on the Active/Inactive List.

-- Simultaneously with the roster reduction to 53 players, clubs that have players in the categories of Active/Physically Unable to Perform or Active/Non-Football Injury or Illness must select one of the following options: place player on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform or Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness, whichever is applicable; terminate or request waivers with the designation of Failed Physical or Non- Football Injury or Illness, whichever is applicable; request waivers; terminate contract; trade contract; or continue to count the player on the Active List.

The Dolphins are down to one player on PUP, that being offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg — after Ifeatu Melifonwu was activated from NFI and Darren Waller was activated from PUP.

-- Clubs are permitted to designate for return a maximum of two players who are placed on an applicable Reserve List during the business day of the final roster reduction. Any such player will immediately count against the club’s number of designations, even if the player does not subsequently return to practice.

WAIVER WIRE AND PRACTICE SQUAD

Wednesday August, 27

-- Claiming period for players placed on waivers at the final roster reduction will expire at noon ET. The claiming priority order currently is the same as the order (before trades) for the 2025 NFL draft, meaning the Dolphins are 13th. This means they will be awarded any player they claim provided he's not also claimed by any of the teams that held a draft position higher than that of the Dolphins in the first round of the draft.

-- Upon receipt of the subsequent Personnel Notice, clubs may establish a Practice Squad of 17 players, as long as one player qualifies as an International Player. No club, including the player’s prior club, will be permitted to sign a player to a Practice Player Contract until all clubs have received simultaneous notification via the above Personnel Notice that such player’s prior NFL Player Contract has been terminated via the waiver system. Tackle Bayron Matos is eligible for a practice squad exemption for the Dolphins as a Dominican Republic native, but his status for the 2025 season is in doubt because of the injury he sustained early in training camp.

-- Beginning at 4 p.m. ET, any player placed on Reserve/Injured, Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness, or Practice Squad; Injured during the regular season or postseason, may be designated for return later in the season, subject to the applicable procedures.

THE FIRST GAME WEEK

-- In accordance with the Personnel (Injury) Report Policy, each club is required to file a Practice Report with the NFL Communications department by 4 p.m. ET (or as soon as possible after the completion of practice) every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for a regular season Monday game; Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday for a Wednesday game; Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for a Thursday game; Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for a Friday game; Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for a Saturday game; and Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for a Sunday game. This means the Dolphins' first official injury report of 2025 will be released Wednesday, September 3, four days before the opener against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.

-- Each club must also file a weekly regular season Game Status Report with the NFL Communications department by 4 p.m. ET (or as soon as possible after the completion of practice) on Saturday for a Monday game; Tuesday for a Wednesday game; Wednesday for a Thursday game, Thursday for a Friday game, Thursday for a Saturday game, and Friday for a Sunday game. An update must be reported if there is any change in a player's condition after the initial Game Status Report is filed.

-- The Dolphins open their regular season on Sept. 7 against the Colts at 1 p.m. ET.

-- Beginning on the day after the completion of the third regular season weekend, the claiming priority will be based on current standings, and ties will be broken based on current strength-ofschedule of the involved clubs. If ties still exist, they will be broken by strength-of-victory, point differential, and then by lot.

-- Beginning on the day after a club’s fourth regular season game (including any bye week), it is permitted to begin practicing players on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform and Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness (if the player failed his preseason physical due to a non-football injury or illness) for a period not to exceed 21 days. Players may be activated during the 21-day practice period, or prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the day after the conclusion of the 21-day period.