The NFL is a tough business. Just ask Julius Peppers. Or Darrelle Revis. Or DeMarcus Ware.
Each of these players was released by their respective teams after free agency began March 11, and learned that in the eyes of their teams, they are not worth the amount of money they are scheduled to be paid.
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/443609162942279680
Some of these moves are justified. For the Chicago Bears, releasing Peppers was a necessary move, as the team is trying to get younger on the defensive end. Peppers is 34 and not getting any younger. Though he is a very durable player (hasn’t missed a game in four years with the Bears), his production has declined. He had just 7.5 sacks in 2013, his lowest mark since the 2007 season.
https://twitter.com/djdurkin/status/443536233134698496
Peppers signed a six-year, $91 million deal with the Bears in 2010 after parting ways with the Carolina Panthers, but he is no longer worth this much money. His salary cap hit would have been $18.1 million in 2014, an amount that a cap-strapped team like the Bears couldn’t afford to pay.
Look no further than Dallas to find another perfect example of this scenario. Cowboys star defensive end DeMarcus Ware would have counted $16 million against the cap in 2014, so the team released him to save $7.4 million in cap space next season. Ware is one of the most dominant defensive players in Cowboys history, but when it comes to money, NFL teams show no mercy.
How about Darrelle Revis? The 28-year-old cornerback is widely considered to be the best cornerback in the NFL, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers don’t care. They cut him March 12, saving $16 million in 2014. Revis is one of the best players in the league, but all teams, especially the Buccaneers, need more than one impact player to put themselves in contention for a championship.
Ware and Revis spent little time on the open market. Ware signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Denver Broncos March 12, just one day after being released by the Cowboys.
https://twitter.com/Broncos/status/443848588804644864
Revis also inked a contract, a one-year, $12 million deal with the New England Patriots March 13. Peppers will eventually sign too, because he is still an impactful defensive end. But nowadays, NFL teams want players at the right price, and will not overpay, no matter what your name is.
Salary cap space is king in the NFL. Julius Peppers, Demarcus Ware and Darrelle Revis are some of the most recognizable names in the league, but general managers are paid to do what is best for their team and its salary cap space. Many times, this means that star players find themselves packing their bags and learning the harsh reality of NFL free agency.