By 3 p.m. (Arrowhead Time) this Saturday, the Kansas City Chiefs — and 31 other NFL teams — will have trimmed their 90-man rosters down to 53 players. Over 1,100 professional football players will suddenly find themselves out of work.
A few will sign with other teams within hours or days — but when that happens, they will displace other players who had just breathed a sigh of relief at making their team’s “final” roster. About a third of the youngest players will eventually be signed to an NFL practice squad, where their dreams will continue.