Iowa Football: Former Hawks Impacted by NFL Roster Cuts

By admin — In News — September 1, 2026

   ​The deadline for NFL teams to get down to their 53-man roster was Sunday at 4:00 PM EST, but the sand is shifting under our feet, as some players get picked up by other teams or signed to a practice squad in the fluid and frantic 48 hours that follow. The dust hasn’t fully settled yet, but enough time has passed that it’s worthwhile to take a snapshot of where players’ ultimate fate currently stands.Cut from Roster / No Practice SquadThese players were cut and, as of now, have not been picked up by another team:Nick Jackson (LB) – Tampa BayAaron Graves (R) (DL) – Baltimore RavensEthan Hurkett (R) (DL) – Kansas City ChiefsWaived & Then Signed to a Practice SquadThese players were waived by their respective team but signed to their respective practice squads once they cleared waivers:Brandon Smith (WR) – Pittsburgh SteelersSebastian Castro (S) – Pittsburgh SteelersTJ Hall Jr. (DB) – New Orleans SaintsGeno Stone (S) – Buffalo BillsKristian Welch (LB) Green Bay PackersTyler Goodson (RB) – Atlanta FalconsIhmir Smith-Marsette (WR) – Arizona CardinalsJack Heflin (DL) – New York JetsCharlie Jones (WR) – New Your GiantsKaevon Merriweather (S) – Jackson JaguarsMark Gronowski (R) (QB) – Miami DolphinsMax Llewellyn (R) (DL) – Miami DolphinsIt’s worth noting that Charlie Jones was cut from the Cincinnati Bengals and chose not to resign to their practice squad, opting instead to sign with the New York Giants. Kaevon Merriweather was cut from the Houston Texans and signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad.Max Llewellyn survived the initial 53-man cuts on Sunday, but was waived on Monday after Miami claimed a league-high seven players off waivers. He was subsequently signed back to the Dolphins practice squad.Kaleb Johnson Traded to the Green Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers acquired Kaleb Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2028 sixth-round draft pick. The trade materialized rapidly and, as it was a formal player-for-pick trade executed before the 53-man roster deadline, Johnson bypassed the waiver wire entirely. He went straight onto Green Bay’s active 53-man roster, where his rookie contract transfers directly to the Packers’ salary cap.Iowa Rookies in the NFLLast month, I wrote about the Hawkeyes having a record seven players drafted this year, with an additional 5 signing as Undrafted Free Agents (UDFAs). As of this writing, only Aaron Graves and Ethan Hurkett (a UDFA) have been cut and not picked up. Two of those rookies, Mark Gronowski and Max Llewellyn, are on practice squads. The rest have all made the 53-man roster for their teams. Quite the feat for the 2025 edition of the Iowa Hawkeyes, and a lot of former Hawkeyes to watch on Sundays as the season progresses.  

Content Source: Yahoo News

Image Credit: Getty Images

All rights to the news content and images belong to their respective copyright owners.