2021 first-round draft picks Kadarius Toney and Caleb Farley were released on NFL roster cuts day

FILE – Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney walks onto the field at the start of NFL football training camp on July 27, 2024, in St. Joseph, Missouri. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)

Kansas City receiver Kadarius Toney and Tennessee cornerback Caleb Farley, both selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, were among the cuts Tuesday as teams trimmed their rosters for the regular season.

Toney, who was expected to be on the roster, was on his second team since the New York Giants drafted him 20th overall three years ago. The Titans selected Farley two picks later.

Teams have had to cut their rosters to 53 players, down from a maximum of 90 for training camp. Toney, Farley and hundreds of others will be eligible to return on practice squads that allow up to 17 players, including a spot reserved for the International Player Pathway program.

Miami receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will start the season on the physically unfit list, meaning he will miss at least the first four games. Beckham has not played with the Dolphins since signing a one-year contract in May.

San Francisco’s starting roster is missing one major piece: All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams remains on injured reserve/did not report as he seeks a new contract. Star receiver Brandon Aiyuk is on the roster but has refused to practice unless he gets a new contract or is traded.

Injuries cut short Toney’s first two seasons, and he was traded to the Chiefs in his second year with the Giants. The 25-year-old never consistently demonstrated his dynamic playmaking skills, but he played a significant role in the first of his two Super Bowl rings with the Chiefs.

In three minutes during the fourth quarter of Kansas City’s 38-35 victory over Philadelphia in Super Bowl 57, Toney made two monumental plays. First, he caught a 5-yard TD pass that gave the Chiefs a 28-27 lead. Then, he returned a punt 65 yards to the Eagles’ 5-yard line to set up another TD.

But Toney couldn’t build on that success. He struggled last season, was inactive from Week 15 until the playoffs and was sidelined when the Chiefs finished their return game against San Francisco.

Kansas City added veteran wideout Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and selected Xavier Worthy in the first round to go with Rashee Rice. The Chiefs also have Skyy Moore, Mecole Hardman and Justin Watson.

The Titans selected Farley out of Virginia Tech after he became the first player from a major college to opt out of the 2020 season due to the pandemic. Farley was selected just weeks after a second surgery to repair a back injury suffered in college.

Farley started just two games, with injuries limiting him to 12 games over his first two seasons. Farley underwent another back surgery in 2023.

The 25-year-old never played last season. The Titans kept him on the physically unfit list after his father was killed last August in an explosion that destroyed Farley’s North Carolina home.

Arizona released quarterback Desmond Ridder, meaning Clayton Tune will be Kyler Murray’s backup. Ridder started 13 games for Atlanta last season before being traded to the Cardinals in the offseason.

Jacksonville released eight-year veteran quarterback CJ Beathard with an injury designation, likely clearing the way for Mac Jones to back up Trevor Lawrence. Jones started 42 games over the past three seasons with New England after the Patriots drafted him in the first round in 2021.

Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was released by the Chiefs after re-signing with them following his release by the Patriots this month.

The Cowboys placed CeeDee Lamb on the commissioner-exempt list a day after the All-Pro receiver agreed to a four-year, $136 million contract extension that ended his lengthy preseason holdout. Lamb signed the contract Tuesday.

The move allowed the Cowboys to add offensive lineman Chuma Edoga to the 53-man roster for one day. Lamb would take Edoga’s place, who could return from injured reserve before four weeks.

Seattle had outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu on the active roster, a sign the Seahawks believe the three-year starter can be ready in less than four games. Nwosu injured his knee in the final preseason game.

The New York Jets waived safety Jaylen Key, who was “Mr. Irrelevant” as the final pick of the draft. The former UAB and Alabama standout had a solid training camp but was buried on the roster behind starters Chuck Clark and Tony Adams and veteran backups Ashtyn Davis and Jarrick Bernard-Converse.

The Minnesota Vikings have placed tight end TJ Hockenson on the physically unfit list, meaning the two-time Pro Bowler will miss at least the first four games. Hockenson is finishing up his rehab after tearing his ACL against Detroit on Dec. 24.

The Vikings waived safety Lewis Cine, the final pick of the first round two years ago in the first draft under general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

Cine badly broke his leg on special teams in a game early in his rookie season and never really cracked the field last season. He played a total of 10 defensive snaps in two seasons.

Denver released receiver Tim Patrick, whose TD in the second preseason game was his first in 974 days. Patrick, who suffered season-ending injuries early in training camp in 2022 and 2023, had a solid summer but was a victim of the Broncos’ depth at his position.

As expected, Cleveland placed star running back Nick Chubb on the physically unfit list as he continues to recover from two surgeries last year. The club is optimistic that Chubb will play this season.

The Browns released running back D’Onta Foreman, who overcame a scary neck injury in training camp. With Nyheim Hines on non-football injury list, the Browns currently have only Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr. at running back.

Washington released veteran receiver Martavis Bryant, who is in his second season trying to end a long NFL hiatus.

The oft-suspended 32-year-old, who last played in the NFL in 2018, spent most of last season on Dallas’ practice squad and could land in the same spot with the Commanders, who signed him Aug. 13.

For the second season running, the Saints made a change at punter, and once again they brought in an Australian recruit. This time it was 27-year-old Matthew Hayball, replacing 31-year-old Lou Hedley, who had surprisingly secured the job the previous year.

The Buffalo Bills released receiver KJ Hamler, their primary preseason return specialist, and filled the void on special teams by acquiring defensive end Brandon Codrington in a trade with the AFC East rival Jets. The teams swapped late-round picks in next year’s draft.

Safety Ronnie Harrison (Colts), linebacker Deion Jones (Bills), running backs Matt Breida (49ers), Joshua Kelley (Giants) and Boston Scott (Rams), quarterbacks Mike White (Dolphins), Ben DiNucci (Bills) , Matt Corral (Vikings) and Ian Book (Chiefs), wide receivers Sterling Shepard (Buccaneers) and Greg Ward (Colts) and defensive back Terrell Edmunds (Jaguars) were also dismissed.

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AP reporters Mark Anderson, Tim Booth, David Brandt, Fred Goodall, Brett Martel, Steve Megargee, Paul Newberry, Dave Skretta, Mitch Stacy, Alanis Thames, John Wawrow, Stephen Whyno and Tom Withers and AP pro football writers Dave Campbell, Josh Dubow, Mark Long, Rob Maaddi, Arnie Stapleton, Teresa M. Walker and Dennis Waszak Jr. contributed to this report.

Miami Dolphins wide receivers Tyreek Hill, left, Odell Beckham Jr. (3) and Erik Ezukanma (18) stand on the field before an NFL preseason football game, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken))

FILE – New England Patriots wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster talks to reporters after NFL football training camp, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)