CFL teams have less than a week remaining to make decisions on final rosters for the 2025 regular season.
The preseason wraps up on Friday, May 30 with four exhibition games across the country. Teams then have until 10:00 p.m. local time on Saturday, May 31 to decide which players to keep and release.
The localized deadline means the four teams in the Eastern time zone have to make their cuts first, followed by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the central time zone. Saskatchewan, Edmonton, and Calgary have to make all cuts an hour later, while the B.C. Lions don’t have to make their moves until the calendar has flipped to Sunday on the other side of the country.
Unlike other leagues, CFL teams do not have a hard limit on the number of players they have to reduce to on cutdown day. Teams must field a roster of either 44 or 45 players on gameday and can keep up to 13 players on the practice roster depending on the number of Global players included. Additional players can be kept by utilizing the one-game and six-game injured lists. This is advantageous in certain circumstances such as with high draft picks, as players on the practice roster can be poached by other teams if offered an active roster spot.
Players on the six-game injured list earn a game cheque but do not see their salaries count against the salary cap if they’re out the full six games. While a restricted number of players can be removed from this list early, it is generally reserved for those with actual long-term injuries due to restrictions that bar them from practicing. Players on the one-game injured list are allowed to practice and count under the salary cap, which means teams can designate several healthy scratches so long as they have the financial flexibility to pay for it.
CFL teams are currently restricted to 75 players plus non-counters, which include draft picks and some undrafted free agents. Though not every team will settle on the same number after May 31, anyone kept past the deadline will receive full pay for that week and could potentially impact the team’s final salary cap number.
The 2025 CFL regular season kicks-off on Thursday, June 5 when the Ottawa Redblacks visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
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