What does it mean when an NFL player is waived?
Not all players who have been cut from a roster become free agents who may sign with another team.
Any player with fewer than four accrued seasons must be waived. Accrued seasons are earned when a player spends at least six games on a team’s active roster or one of its reserve lists (injured, PUP or NFI) in a given season. Once a player is waived, any team may claim them, assuming their current NFL contract. Teams that are lower on the waiver wire (listed below) have precedence in these claims.
If a player with at least four accrued seasons is cut, they are released. They immediately become free agents who can sign with any team.
What is the NFL waiver order right now?
The NFL waiver order during the preseason (and the first three weeks of the regular season) mirrors the 2025 NFL Draft order. But after the fourth game of the season, it resets to the current NFL standings. So right now, the Titans have first crack at every player on waivers.