Released vs. released: How NFL rosters work

The day of squad reduction will take place after the end of the preseason.

The NFL allows teams to play with 90-man rosters during the offseason. Throughout training camp and the preseason, unknown players compete against each other, trying to earn a spot on the roster. Ultimately, over 40 percent of them don't make it.

Per league rules, teams must reduce their rosters to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, August 27.

As the teams take shape, this day is filled with excitement for fans. For the players, it is the darkest day of the year. Each team has a grim reaper – usually a scouting intern – who walks around the facility collecting playbooks. Once players see the grim reaper, they know they will no longer be on the team. Some players have gone to extremes to avoid being ejected. There are stories of players intentionally trying to get a serious injury to go on the injured list rather than be ejected.

While all roster cuts may seem the same to fans, different rules and conditions apply that affect how players find their next opportunity.

When a team decides to release a player, that player will be either waived or released based on his accumulated playing time. Playing time is counted as any season in which a player spends at least six weeks with a team.

Players with at least four accumulated seasons are considered veterans and must be released. When a veteran is released, that player's contract is effectively terminated and he immediately becomes a free agent.

Any player with less than four accumulated seasons is subject to the waiver system, which gives any other team the opportunity to claim their existing contracts. Any player who is not claimed in the waiver system becomes a free agent and can negotiate a new contract with any interested team.

The waiver order is determined by the previous season's rankings. The team with the worst record has the first waiver position, while Super Bowl winners are last. If multiple teams make a claim on the same waiver player, the player is awarded to the team with the highest waiver position.

Claiming a player does not change a team's position on the waiver list. The waiver order does not change until Week 4 of the regular season, meaning the team with first waiver rights can claim as many players as they want. On the Tuesday before Week 4, the waiver order is determined by the current league standings.

In the event of an injury prior to roster reduction day, injured players with less than four years of accumulated experience must go through an injured waiver to be placed on the injured reserve list.

Teams can release players with injury status. If injured players are not on the waiver list, they are returned to the releasing team and placed on the injured reserve list. Players with at least four years of accumulated seasons can be placed directly on the injured reserve list during the offseason.

From the transfer deadline until the end of the regular season, any released player is placed on the waiver list, regardless of the number of seasons played.