Shawne Merriman is done in Buffalo.
The Bills, who already paid Merriman a $1 million roster bonus this year, have informed Merriman that they’re releasing him today, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports first reported and the team later announced.
Once among the best defensive players in the NFL, Merriman’s career has taken a swift fall, with injuries plaguing him for years. After recording 39.5 sacks in his first three NFL seasons, Merriman has had a grand total of just five sacks in the last four seasons, and has played in just 23 games since the start of the 2008 season.
Merriman had missed practice recently with a tight hamstring, but he insisted that he was fine, and had been talking about his plans to come back with a huge year in 2012.
That huge year won’t be happening in Buffalo, so now Merriman will have to seek some other 3-4 defense that has a spot for an injury-prone outside linebacker. And given how long it’s been since the 28-year-old Merriman has had a huge year, it’s fair to wonder whether we’ve seen the last of Merriman.