One day after parting ways with running back James Starks, the Green Bay Packers have sent another veteran packing.
According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, the Packers released cornerback Sam Shields on Wednesday, saving the team roughly $9 million on the 2017 salary cap.
[protected-iframe id=”3195d13b2cbb394b869fbe0b77c30663-114320562-34121168″ info=”//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js” class=”instagram-media”]The Packers have indeed informed Sam Shields that he will be released, as he posted on his Instagram account… https://t.co/8Qh8PaHzvb
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) February 8, 2017
Shields, 29, played in just one game in 2016 after suffering a concussion in Green Bay’s season-opening win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The possibility exists for Shields to retire due to his recurring head injuries.
An undrafted free agent signed by the Packers in 2010, Shields went on to play in 91 games (including playoffs) in Green Bay—registering 23 interceptions and 79 passes defended over seven seasons. He won a Super Bowl as a rookie in 2010, and he made his one and only Pro Bowl in 2014.
Shields was due $12 million in 2017, the final year of a four-year contract he signed before the 2014 season.
The Packers now need to fill a major hole at cornerback this offseason. Green Bay’s defense was torched by opposing quarterbacks in 2016 without Shields.
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