While the first wave of NFL releases have already occurred there are many more players who will likely be asked to take a pay cut or be released as we head into free agency. Some are still very good players who are going to be victims of the salary cap or change in direction for the franchise while others will look to revitalize their careers following what may have been a disappointing season. Here is my list of players who I think are most in danger of being released and what their cap savings would be with a standard release. Please note that I did not include players who would only be traded (i.e. Aaron Rodgers) or those whose contracts will lead to a technical release (i.e Michael Thomas).
| Name | Team | Position | 2023 Cap Charge | Dead Money | Cap Savings |
| Frank Clark | Chiefs | EDGE | $28,675,000 | $7,675,000 | $21,000,000 |
| Khalil Mack | Chargers | EDGE | $27,400,000 | $9,000,000 | $18,400,000 |
| Ryan Tannehill | Titans | QB | $36,600,000 | $18,800,000 | $17,800,000 |
| Matt Ryan | Colts | QB | $35,205,882 | $18,000,000 | $17,205,882 |
| Carl Lawson | Jets | EDGE | $15,733,334 | $333,333 | $15,400,001 |
| Keenan Allen | Chargers | WR | $21,700,000 | $6,900,000 | $14,800,000 |
| Shaq Thompson | Panthers | LB | $24,463,334 | $11,303,334 | $13,160,000 |
| Shaquill Griffin | Jaguars | CB | $17,147,059 | $4,000,000 | $13,147,059 |
| William Jackson III | Steelers | CB | $12,187,500 | $0 | $12,187,500 |
| Leonard Williams | Giants | DE | $32,260,000 | $20,220,000 | $12,040,000 |
| Robbie Anderson | Cardinals | WR | $12,000,000 | $0 | $12,000,000 |
| Graham Glasgow | Broncos | RG | $14,000,000 | $3,000,000 | $11,000,000 |
| Hunter Henry | Patriots | TE | $15,500,000 | $5,000,000 | $10,500,000 |
| Corey Davis | Jets | WR | $11,166,668 | $666,668 | $10,500,000 |
| Donovan Smith | Buccaneers | LT | $17,900,000 | $7,950,000 | $9,950,000 |
| Ronald Darby | Broncos | CB | $12,647,059 | $3,000,000 | $9,647,059 |
| Tyron Smith | Cowboys | LT | $17,605,000 | $8,010,000 | $9,595,000 |
| Eric Kendricks | Vikings | LB | $11,430,000 | $1,930,000 | $9,500,000 |
| Bud Dupree | Titans | EDGE | $20,200,000 | $10,850,000 | $9,350,000 |
| Shelby Harris | Seahawks | DE | $12,211,176 | $3,270,000 | $8,941,176 |
| Adoree’ Jackson | Giants | CB | $19,076,568 | $10,476,667 | $8,599,901 |
| Kenny Moore | Colts | CB | $8,166,875 | $0 | $8,166,875 |
| DeAndre Hopkins | Cardinals | WR | $30,750,000 | $22,600,000 | $8,150,000 |
| Trent Brown | Patriots | RT | $12,250,000 | $4,250,000 | $8,000,000 |
| Myles Jack | Steelers | LB | $11,250,000 | $3,250,000 | $8,000,000 |
| Mitchell Trubisky | Steelers | QB | $10,625,000 | $2,625,000 | $8,000,000 |
| Romeo Okwara | Lions | EDGE | $14,500,000 | $7,000,000 | $7,500,000 |
| Michael Davis | Chargers | CB | $9,400,000 | $2,000,000 | $7,400,000 |
| Harrison Smith | Vikings | S | $19,127,647 | $11,747,648 | $7,379,999 |
| Joe Mixon | Bengals | RB | $12,791,176 | $5,500,000 | $7,291,176 |
| Jordan Whitehead | Jets | S | $10,232,500 | $2,982,500 | $7,250,000 |
| Marquez Valdes-Scantling | Chiefs | WR | $11,000,000 | $4,000,000 | $7,000,000 |
| Calais Campbell | Ravens | DE | $9,440,000 | $2,440,000 | $7,000,000 |
| Kenny Golladay | Giants | WR | $21,400,000 | $14,700,000 | $6,700,000 |
| C.J. Mosley | Jets | LB | $21,476,000 | $14,904,000 | $6,572,000 |
| Halapoulivaati Vaitai | Lions | RG | $12,448,194 | $5,896,388 | $6,551,806 |
| Gabe Jackson | Seahawks | RG | $11,262,223 | $4,762,223 | $6,500,000 |
| Rayshawn Jenkins | Jaguars | S | $10,500,000 | $4,000,000 | $6,500,000 |
| Adam Thielen | Vikings | WR | $19,967,647 | $13,550,000 | $6,417,647 |
| DeVante Parker | Patriots | WR | $6,206,250 | $0 | $6,206,250 |
| La’el Collins | Bengals | RT | $9,384,313 | $3,333,334 | $6,050,979 |
| Chase Edmonds | Broncos | RB | $5,920,000 | $0 | $5,920,000 |
| Dalvin Cook | Vikings | RB | $14,101,272 | $8,202,545 | $5,898,727 |
| Cody Whitehair | Bears | LG | $14,100,000 | $8,300,000 | $5,800,000 |
| David Bakhtiari | Packers | LT | $28,853,749 | $23,131,031 | $5,722,718 |
| Kendrick Bourne | Patriots | WR | $6,872,550 | $1,416,668 | $5,455,882 |
| Logan Thomas | Commanders | TE | $8,675,000 | $3,500,000 | $5,175,000 |
| Andre James | Raiders | C | $6,980,000 | $1,920,000 | $5,060,000 |
| Bobby Wagner | Rams | LB | $12,500,000 | $7,500,000 | $5,000,000 |
| Braxton Berrios | Jets | WR | $8,232,500 | $3,232,500 | $5,000,000 |
| Casey Hayward | Falcons | CB | $7,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $5,000,000 |
| Duane Brown | Jets | LT | $11,281,882 | $6,304,000 | $4,977,882 |
| Jalen Mills | Patriots | CB | $6,213,235 | $1,250,000 | $4,963,235 |
| Ezekiel Elliott | Cowboys | RB | $16,720,000 | $11,860,000 | $4,860,000 |
| Nyheim Hines | Bills | RB | $4,790,000 | $0 | $4,790,000 |
| James Hurst | Saints | LT | $6,761,000 | $2,044,000 | $4,717,000 |
| Jameis Winston | Saints | QB | $15,600,000 | $11,200,000 | $4,400,000 |
| Chase Roullier | Commanders | C | $12,420,000 | $8,100,000 | $4,320,000 |
| Pat Elflein | Panthers | C | $7,067,206 | $2,802,500 | $4,264,706 |
| Gerald Everett | Chargers | TE | $8,250,000 | $4,000,000 | $4,250,000 |
| Charles Harris | Lions | EDGE | $7,988,333 | $3,976,667 | $4,011,666 |
| Ahkello Witherspoon | Steelers | CB | $5,482,500 | $1,482,500 | $4,000,000 |
| Lucas Patrick | Bears | LG | $5,382,500 | $1,482,500 | $3,900,000 |
| Al Woods | Seahawks | DT | $5,420,000 | $1,750,000 | $3,670,000 |
| Byron Jones | Dolphins | CB | $18,351,000 | $14,804,000 | $3,547,000 |
| Chuck Clark | Ravens | S | $6,768,334 | $3,290,098 | $3,478,236 |
| Leonard Fournette | Buccaneers | RB | $8,470,588 | $5,000,000 | $3,470,588 |
| Ryan Succop | Buccaneers | K | $4,000,000 | $750,000 | $3,250,000 |
| Keion Crossen | Dolphins | CB | $3,155,000 | $0 | $3,155,000 |
| Leonard Floyd | Rams | EDGE | $22,000,000 | $19,000,000 | $3,000,000 |
| Cairo Santos | Bears | K | $4,500,000 | $1,500,000 | $3,000,000 |
| Rigoberto Sanchez | Colts | P | $2,900,000 | $0 | $2,900,000 |
| Russell Gage | Buccaneers | WR | $12,166,666 | $9,333,334 | $2,833,332 |
| Bryan Mone | Seahawks | DT | $3,675,000 | $1,000,000 | $2,675,000 |
| Tim Settle | Bills | DT | $4,945,000 | $2,700,000 | $2,245,000 |
| Isaiah McKenzie | Bills | WR | $2,517,647 | $300,000 | $2,217,647 |
| Nick Foles | Colts | QB | $3,600,000 | $1,500,000 | $2,100,000 |
| Cameron Brate | Buccaneers | TE | $4,985,000 | $2,955,000 | $2,030,000 |
| Gunner Olszewski | Steelers | WR | $2,617,500 | $617,500 | $2,000,000 |
| Joe Haeg | Browns | RG | $2,500,000 | $500,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Brandon Wilson | Bengals | S | $2,000,000 | $0 | $2,000,000 |
| Bradley Roby | Saints | CB | $4,027,828 | $2,412,426 | $1,615,402 |
| Andrus Peat | Saints | LG | $18,371,000 | $16,984,000 | $1,387,000 |
| Cedrick Wilson Jr. | Dolphins | WR | $8,000,000 | $7,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| John Johnson | Browns | S | $13,500,000 | $12,600,000 | $900,000 |
If we look at these by team you can get a sense of how much each teams salary cap situation can potentially improve for free agency if these moves were all made.
| Team | Players | Salary Cap Savings |
| Jets | 6 | $49,699,883 |
| Chargers | 4 | $44,850,000 |
| Patriots | 5 | $35,125,367 |
| Steelers | 5 | $34,187,500 |
| Colts | 4 | $30,372,757 |
| Vikings | 4 | $29,196,373 |
| Chiefs | 2 | $28,000,000 |
| Giants | 3 | $27,339,901 |
| Titans | 2 | $27,150,000 |
| Broncos | 3 | $26,567,059 |
| Seahawks | 4 | $21,786,176 |
| Buccaneers | 5 | $21,533,920 |
| Cardinals | 2 | $20,150,000 |
| Jaguars | 2 | $19,647,059 |
| Lions | 3 | $18,063,472 |
| Panthers | 2 | $17,424,706 |
| Bengals | 3 | $15,342,155 |
| Cowboys | 2 | $14,455,000 |
| Bears | 3 | $12,700,000 |
| Saints | 4 | $12,119,402 |
| Ravens | 2 | $10,478,236 |
| Commanders | 2 | $9,495,000 |
| Bills | 3 | $9,252,647 |
| Rams | 2 | $8,000,000 |
| Dolphins | 3 | $7,702,000 |
| Packers | 1 | $5,722,718 |
| Raiders | 1 | $5,060,000 |
| Falcons | 1 | $5,000,000 |
| Browns | 2 | $2,900,000 |
All players who are officially released will be added in our free agency pages with a SFA (street free agent) designation. These players do not count against the compensatory pick formula. You can also follow our released player tracker to quickly see the list of player cuts and some data on their prior contracts.