Embodiments of the invention may relate to methods, systems, and/or non-transitory computer readable mediums for sidelining Such sidelining may include making a first determination, by a first network device, that a first network device state has degraded and making a first request, based on the first determination, to receive a first sideline token from a network controller. The network controller, in response to the first request, may make a second determination that a remaining sideline token is available. The method may also include receiving, by the first network device and based on the second determination, the remaining sideline token from the network controller and initiating, by the first network device, a graceful offlining based on receiving the remaining sideline token.