3 Prominent Players around the NFL Released in 24 Hours
Dustin Baker
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The NFL’s free agency period is rapidly approaching as players without contracts can sign anywhere in the league starting March 13th.
The Minnesota Vikings have a handful of prominent free agents who may leave the franchise, including Patrick Peterson, Alexander Mattison, Irv Smith, Garrett Bradbury, Duke Shelley, and Dalvin Tomlinson.
3 Prominent Players around the NFL Released in 24 Hours
But around the league, the release of veterans on expensive contracts has begun, highlighted by three big-name players in the last 24 hours.
Kenny Golladay (NYG)
ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted Tuesday, “Giants are releasing WR Kenny Golladay on the first day of the league year, March 15, per source. By waiting until March 15, they will save $6.7 million against their salary cap.”
It’s a total cap-clearing maneuver for the Giants after the Golladay era in New York emphatically flopped. Golladay signed a four-year, $72 million deal with the Giants in 2021 — a humongous deal for a wide receiver at the time — and later produced 602 receiving yards and a touchdown in New York. And that’s it.
The 29-year-old simply never caught on with the Giants and will now likely join another team as a WR3 or so. He still has a high ceiling, evidenced by mammoth seasons in Detroit during 2018 and 2019, but his ship as a WR1 has sailed.
Marcus Mariota (ATL)
The Falcons signed Mariota as a sort-of bridge quarterback to Desmond Ridder in 2022. Of course, Atlanta hoped Mariota could find a career reclamation spark at age 29 with the Falcons, but that did not happen.
Schefter tweeted, “Falcons released QB Marcus Mariota. The move saved them $12 million against their salary cap.”
Mariota recorded 19 total touchdowns to 9 interceptions as the Falcons QB1 last year, but Atlanta’s coaching staff handed the scepter to Ridder, a rookie, for the season’s final four games.
Like Golladay, Mariota can now sign anywhere and will return to a familiar role — a damn good QB2.
Carson Wentz (WAS)
“Releasing Carson Wentz saves the Commanders $26.17 million against their salary cap,” Schefter announced Monday, and that’s exactly what Washington did to kickstart the week.
Wentz was terrible in 2022, ranking 31st of 34 last year per quarterback DVOA. Only Baker Mayfield, Matt Ryan, and Justin Fields performed worse, per Football Outsiders.
His teammate Taylor Heinicke is also a free agent. Washington appears set to audition 2022 rookie Sam Howell at quarterback in 2023, although the plan is an early-offseason whisper as of late February.
Wentz has one of the strangest career arcs in NFL history, a dazzling asset in his first four seasons that petered out in 2020. He then joined the Colts and Commanders as a proposed QB1 solution, and both teams said “no thanks” after one season apiece.
Like Mariota, Wentz is likely headed to a QB2 assignment in 2023.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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