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Newsstand: Several ex-Notre Dame players released by NFL teams on Monday

Singer headshotby: Mike Singer08/26/25MikeTSinger
Audric Estime
David Gonzales-Imagn Images

NFL teams are trimming their rosters as the preseason continues and the regular season inches closer, and several former Notre Dame players were cut by their respective teams.

Linebacker Jaylon Smith was one of the top players at his position during the first few years of his NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys, but he has bounced around with various teams since 2021. After spending time on a few practice squads in 2023, Smith was not on a team in 2024. On Monday, he was released by the Las Vegas Raiders after three months with the team.

Running back Audric Estime carried the ball 76 times for 310 yards and two scores. The Notre Dame fan favorite was cut by the Denver Broncos after being selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Cornerback Troy Pride (Dallas), running back Max Hurleman (Pittsburgh) and offensive lineman Sam Mustipher (Tennessee) were all cut on Monday as well.

We’ll see what happens with Smith, as he’s 30 years old and has played very little football in the past couple of years, but the others should land with new teams, even if only on practice squads.

According to ESPN, there are more than 50 active NFL players from Notre Dame.

Notre Dame tweets of the day

Quote of the day

“Notre Dame safety commit Joey O’Brien was a constant presence patrolling the middle of the field in his senior debut. O’Brien’s elite instincts were on display as he quickly triggered to deliver multiple big hits and disrupted passing lanes. The ratcheted-up physicality is encouraging and is an area where we look for improvement from O’Brien as a senior. He also made plays as a wide receiver on offense and showed some toughness, quickly returning to the game after having a collision on the sideline.”

— Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power on the Irish commit’s performance on Friday

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