Charles Woodson has had an illustrious career with the Green Bay Packers. The verteran safety played seven seasons and 100 games in Green Bay and now that is all coming to an end. The Packers have announced they are releasing Woodson. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport announced the move Friday.
This move could come as a bit of a surprise, but with the amount that Woodson is due to be paid, it makes sense. It is all about the Packers needing to save money. The safety, who will turn 37 in 2013, was due a base salary of $6.5 million on the first day of training camp, with roster bonuses of $2.5 million. He would have counted against $10 million of the salary cap. After 16 seasons in the league, the Packers deemed that too much money to fork over.
Woodson's agent had expressed optimism about his client returning to Green Bay. He still believes Woodson is still worth $11 million and is still valuable asset to the team. However, Car Poston now released a statement stating the opposite.
"They're getting ready to release him. It's part of the business," Poston said.
Poston believes that Woodson will not retire following this release. He thinks the safety has a lot of football left to play and another team will call.
Woodson was hit with injuries the past two years. He suffered two broken collarbones in three years. While his stats have declined in recent years, there is no denying that Woodson can still be a defensive threat. Woodson has totaled 38 receptions, 99 pass break-ups and 11.5 sacks while a Packer. He was named 2009 Defensive Player of the Year.
Green Bay still has plenty of young talent to fill the void on defense. Rookie Casey Hayward has come along strong playing in the slot. M.D. Jennings and Jerron McMillion also have experience starting at safety while Woodson was injured.
If Woodson does intend on playing more football, there will certainly be another team that could use the verteran. He matches up well against tight ends and can be disruptive around the line of scrimmage. While he moved to safety after his skills at cornerback began to decline, he can still be a strong football player that would probably take less money now than before.
