The unfortunate reality in the NFL is that there are thousands of players looking for their opportunity to make the 53-man roster, but 1,184 players who were fighting for their spot on the roster get disappointing news at the conclusion of the preseason. Tuesday was that day where every team had to reduce their roster to the in-season 53-man limit. During the offseason they are allowed 90 players, meaning over 40-percent of the league that gets shown the door at roughly the same time.
A certain portion of those released players will quickly get another opportunity, whether that is on a 53-man roster elsewhere or a practice squad, but countless others will be left without an opportunity and forced to get on with their life’s work.