June 2 previously held significant weight in the NFL as it marked the last wave of free agency. Teams often released players with hefty contracts or declining skills because bonuses would not count against the cap until the following season if the player was released after June 1.

In previous years, many notable players have faced this cut, including Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Kurt Warner. These releases disadvantaged players as most teams would have filled their rosters and the salary cap would be tight by this time.

The rules changed in 2006 when a collective bargaining agreement allowed teams to designate two players for release before June 2, allowing them to count as June 1 cuts for salary cap purposes. With the designation, teams still need to carry the player’s full salary cap until June 2, although they are no longer on the roster.

The June 2 date remains crucial because it directly affects the team’s cap for that league year, allowing better management of dead money from cut players. In 2025, 14 players were released using this designation, notably including Aaron Rodgers and several others who were key to their teams’ strategies.