Remaining NFL dates to know before regular season begins

The Bengals begin preseason play this week when they take on the Chiefs in Kansas City.

This is typically the busiest month of the year, as NFL teams are not only preparing themselves for the grind of a 16-game regular season, but they’re also slowly trimming their rosters down from 90 players to 53.

Here are the biggest remaining dates to know before the Bengals’ 2019 season kicks off in Seattle:

Aug. 6: Deadline for players under contract to report to their clubs to earn an accrued season for free agency. If a drafted rookie has not signed with his club by this date, he cannot be traded to any other club in 2019 and may sign a player contract only with the drafting club until the day of the Draft in the 2020 League Year.

Aug. 10: Bengals at Chiefs in Week 1 of the preseason.

Aug. 15: Bengals at Washington in Week 2 of the preseason.

Aug 22: Bengals vs. Giants in Week 3 of the preseason.

Aug. 29: Bengals vs. Colts in Week 4 of the preseason.

Aug. 31: Prior to 4:00 p.m. EST, clubs must reduce rosters to a maximum of 53 players on the Active/Inactive List. Simultaneously with the cut-down to 53, clubs that have players in the categories of Active/Physically Unable to Perform or Active/Non-Football Injury or Illness must select one of the following options: place player on Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform or Reserve/Non-Football Injury or Illness, whichever is applicable; request waivers; terminate contract; trade contract; or continue to count the player on the Active List.

Sept. 1: Claiming period for players placed on waivers at the final roster reduction will expire at 12:00 noon, New York time. Upon receipt of the Personnel Notice at approximately 1:00 p.m. EST, clubs may establish a Practice Squad of 10 players (clubs participating in the International Player Development Program may sign one additional international player to a Practice Player Contract.) No club, including the player’s prior club, will be permitted to sign a player to a Practice Player Contract until all clubs have received simultaneous notification via the above Personnel Notice that such player’s prior NFL player contract has been terminated via the waiver system.

Sept. 9: Bengals vs. Seahawks in Week 1 of the regular season.

You’ll notice that there is only one cutdown deadline now. Previously, there was a deadline in which teams were required to cut their rosters to 75 players before the fourth week of the preseason.

Typically, teams will slowly trim the roster throughout the next four weeks, though the majority of cuts won’t be made until the final two weeks of preseason action.