Current NFL waiver wire order: Where do Patriots, Jets, Panthers stand?

The NFL waiver wire becomes way more important late in the season, when the trade deadline is over and some teams already start to think about the upcoming year.

With the Indianapolis Colts releasing Shaq Leonard on a surprising move on Tuesday, the waiver priority once again became a hot topic of discussion. With a player of this caliber becoming available for teams and the playoffs getting closer each week, it doesn't matter if your team needs him: whoever has the higher priority can get him first.

With that in mind, check out how the NFL waiver wire is ordered after Week 11 - as a reminder, if an NFL team claims a player through the waivers, it also gets the same contract he had with another franchise.

NFL Waiver Wire after Week 11

This is the current waiver wire following Week 11 results. The waiver priority is based on each team's standings, with the strength of schedule working as the tiebreaker in case one or more teams have the same record:

1. Carolina Panthers - 1-9 (.559)
2. Arizona Cardinals - Record: 2-9 (.540)
3. New England Patriots - Record: 2-8 (.573)
4. Chicago Bears - Record: 3-8 (.469)
5. New York Giants - Record: 3-8 (.513)
6. Tennessee Titans - Record: 3-7 (.545)
7. Washington Commanders - Record: 4-7 (.452)
8. Atlanta Falcons - Record: 4-6 (.437)
9. Green Bay Packers - Record: 4-6 (.485)
10. New York Jets - Record: 4-6 (.519)
11. Los Angeles Chargers - Record: 4-6 (.524)
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Record: 4-6 (.553)
13. Los Angeles Rams - Record: 4-6 (.564)
14. Las Vegas Raiders - Record: 5-6 (.460)
15. Indianapolis Colts - Record: 5-5 (.495)
16. Denver Broncos - Record: 5-5 (.505)
17. Cincinnati Bengals - Record: 5-5 (.548)
18. Buffalo Bills — Record: 6-5 (.442)
19. Minnesota Vikings - Record: 6-5 (.477)
20. Seattle Seahawks - Record: 6-4 (.442)
21. Houston Texans - 6-4 (.461)
22. Pittsburgh Steelers - Record: 6-4 (.569)
23. Dallas Cowboys - Record: 7-3 (.379)
24. Cleveland Browns - 7-3 (.544)
25. New Orleans Saints — Record: 5-5 (.402)
26. Miami Dolphins — Record: 7-3 (.427)
27. San Francisco 49ers — Record: 7-3 (.495)
28. Jacksonville Jaguars — Record: 7-3 (.535)
29. Kansas City Chiefs — Record: 7-3 (.569)
30. Baltimore Ravens — Record: 8-3 (.541)
31. Detroit Lions — Record: 8-2 (.447)
32. Philadelphia Eagles — Record: 9-1 (.476)

Although this is reflective of the draft order, it does not involve picks. The Carolina Panthers have traded what would currently be the number-one overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, but they still have priority over any other teams.

The Philadelphia Eagles could use Shaq Leonard to bolster their linebacker group, but it's unlikely he will get picked by any team due to his contract. The Dallas Cowboys are a contender for him if he clears waivers.