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20252026NFLPre-Season Week 3

3 Popular Veteran Quarterbacks Got Axed By Their Teams As NFL Cutdown Day Takes Its Toll

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This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

NFL logo on the field.
NFL logo. Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Three veteran quarterbacks lost their jobs on Sunday morning. Tampa Bay released Jake Browning. Jacksonville released Nick Mullens. Buffalo released Shane Buechele. The NFL cutdown clock hits 6 p.m. ET. These three did not survive it.

Buechele started the preseason finale and went 26-of-38 for 196 yards in a 28-27 win. Josh Allen and Kyle Allen still own the room. The Bills can stash him on the practice squad if nobody claims him. That is the NFL math on cut day.

NFL Backup Jobs Just Got Tight

NFL logo.
NFL logo. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Mullens lasted one day after Jacksonville added Ewers. Trevor Lawrence remains the starter. The Jaguars decided they did not need two veterans behind him. Garafolo noted plenty of quarterback rooms still need a body. Mullens could land fast.

Browning’s cut stung a different way. Tampa is expected to keep undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels as the backup. One fan called it “dumb” and said people hyping the move explain “why teams stay mediocre.” Camp reps beat a veteran résumé this time.

Other rooms moved too. Cincinnati cut Josh Johnson. Carolina cut Kyle Trask. The Jets cut Bailey Zappe. Houston cut Brett Rypien. The NFL is not saving extra arms just because they have started games before.

Roster spots are the real currency. A third quarterback costs a receiver, a lineman, or a special-teamer.

Why These NFL Cuts Landed Today

NFL logo on a goal post pad.
NFL logo. Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The deadline moved up because the 49ers fly to Melbourne on Wednesday. Week 1 against the Rams is September 10. Teams cannot wait until the usual Tuesday after the last preseason game. More than 1,100 players will come off 90-man camps.

Practice squads will catch some of them. Clubs can keep 17, including one international pathway player. Buechele fits that path in Buffalo if he clears waivers. Browning and Mullens will test the waiver wire first.

The three-QB wipeout is only the headline slice. Trades already moved Quinn Ewers to Jacksonville and Kyle McCord to Miami. Cut day is the cleanup after those deals. Injury-week chaos still decides some of the last spots.

The regular season starts in two weeks. These three veterans now wait on a phone. The NFL always needs a backup by Thursday night. Sunday is when it decides who does not get that chance.

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