The past week saw a number of notable Nfl Players be released by their current teams. These players were released to a combination of age, injury or lower playing performance coupled along with their large contracts. These stars players were released because of this.
Jamaal Charles
The Kansas City Chiefs released their all-time leading rusher in Jamaal Charles, who made the pro bowl four times and was the first team all pro twice in his nine seasons with the team. Early into the 2011 season Charles suffered a horrible ACL injury but managed to bounce back, having three excellent seasons.
Five games into the 2015 season Charles tore his ACL, once again missing the rest of the season. Charles never fully recovered from the second ACL injury, only playing three games in 2016 before suffering a setback and needing additional surgery. Despite having one year left on his contract with the Chiefs worth $6.1 million, the team clearly did not think it was worth the money to be paying a 30-year-old running back off of multiple knee surgeries that much.
Jarius Byrd
The New Orleans Saints released three-time pro bowl safety Jarius Byrd today after three seasons with the team. Byrd achieved all of his pro bowl and pro teams during his first five seasons in the league as a star player for the Buffalo Bills.
In 2014 the New Orleans Saints gave Byrd a six-year, $54 million deal based off this production but he never panned out for the team. Four games into his first season with the team Byrd suffered a devastating knee injury, tearing his lateral meniscus. Byrd would go on to play in 29 of 32 games in the next two seasons, but would never play well enough to live up to his contract.
At 30 years old the Saints released Byrd saving $7.8 million in dead money but taking an $8 million dollar cap hit.
Darelle Revis
The New York Jets released seven-time pro bowl and the four-time first team all-pro cornerback Darelle Revis after only two years into his second stint with the team. After spending his first six seasons in New York Revis spent a forgettable season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then went to the New England Patriots for a season, helping them win a Superbowl.
Revis then signed a five-year, $70 million dollar contract to go back to New York but during his second season, his performance suffered from a massive drop off in play. With his large contract, being 31 years old and having been recently arrested two weeks ago the team decided that he was not worth the money to keep around. Cutting Revis saves the Jets $9.3 million, but it will cost them $6 million in dead money. That dead money number could be reduced, however, depending on what kind contract he would get with a new team.
