Waiver wire
An NFL term
A 24-hour window where any team can claim a cut player and inherit his contract. Claims are awarded in order of record, worst team first. If nobody claims him, he clears waivers and becomes a free agent.
Claiming order runs on the previous season's standings until late in the year, then flips to the current standings. The worst team gets first crack.
A claiming team takes the contract as it is, which is why good players sometimes clear waivers: the money, not the talent, is what teams decline.
Clearing waivers is the moment a player is free to sign anywhere, including back with the team that just cut him, often onto the practice squad.
You’ll hear it like this
He cleared waivers on Wednesday, which is how a starter from Week 1 ended up on someone's practice squad.
Related
Sources
Checked 2026-08-07.