By Associated Press

The NFL informed all 32 teams on Friday that they need to reduce their rosters to 80 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 30.

The league had considered allowing teams to keep their rosters at 90 until Sept. 3, when they have to cut them to 53.

That would have flooded the open market with nearly 1,200 players, the vast majority of whom would have been subject to the waiver wire, forcing teams to scramble for an unprecedented deluge of talent.

Usually, the first cut is to 75 players.