ReutersAfter Charles Woodson’s agent announced that Woodson would be leaving the Packers, it was just a matter of time until the Packers made it official.
They did just that on Friday afternoon. The team issued a release announcing Woodson’s release on Friday afternoon.
“We are grateful for all that Charles has given to the Green Bay Packers over the past seven years,” General Manager Ted Thompson said. “He has been an integral part of the Packers’ success and our Super Bowl title in 2010 would not have been possible without his contributions. A once-in-a-generation talent as a player, he is also a great leader and ambassador for the organization off the field. Charles will always be a member of the Packers family and we look forward to his eventual induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We wish him and his family all the best.”
Woodson spent seven years in Green Bay, earning All-Pro status twice and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award once while also helping the team to that Super Bowl title Thompson mentioned. He holds the franchise records for most defensive touchdowns and most interceptions returned for touchdowns and he ranks fourth in Packers history with 38 interceptions.
Woodson’s likely to land somewhere unless he decides he doesn’t want to play anymore, but his fruitful partnership with the Packers has officially come to an end.
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Hmmmz he’s a Pittsburgh Guy right?
Come home to Detroit!
Ahh… Welcome to New England!! Ed who???
Bet he ends up in Philly.
A damn shame…
Thanks Chuck! Good luck!
Thank you for everything Charles, you are class player, great leader and phenomenal talent. You’ll go down in Packer history as one of the best.
Signed,
Packer nation
If I had to guess where he ends up, I’d say with the 49ers
Well at least the Vikes will get another Packer HOFer. Thanks Chuck for all you did!!
Props to #21. Charles was a great on and off the field. Hope he stays on speaking terms w/Packers, unlike the last Legend to leave…
Come on down to Dallas, man.
The Boys Need Leadership.
Colts can use him
Don`t know how much is left in the tank , but he was very good at one time .
Thanks for all the heart, 21.
BTW, he doesn’t like to be called Chuck.
We loved in green and gold Chuck. Gonna miss you and that awesome voice. Too bad you are too old now to be really effective.
It is really fun to watch everyone’s guess to where he ends up. I hope he retires.
Many thought he was done when he came to the Packers. Who knows, maybe he can surprise people again. Anyway, thanks and best wishes to him.
Age and contract is what did him in.
Great player, great human being, my favorite Wolverine of all time.
Good luck Charles.
Could use him in Dallas as a Safety at the right price. Could also use that positive locker-room presence. A safe pickup indeed.
Hold on, hold, hold, hold on, hold a little more.
That’s it. We really love you Chuck!
The story doesn’t mention that if the Packers had not released him he was due $10 Million next season, with a $9 Million hit to the salary cap.
Maybe Woodson and the Pack can come to an agreement at a lower figure. I don’t think any other team will pay him $10 mil for next year.
Once a Raider, always a Raider.
Hmmmz he’s a Pittsburgh Guy right?
Hope Ohio
He wants the all time pick six record, BAD.
I bet he goes back to the Raiduhs. Reggie McKenzie is a former Packer.
New England is screaming for secondary help and they have the money to sign him. He also fits the mold for the Patriots way.
It’s a win win situation and I am willing to bet that Mr. Woodson will take less to play in New England. Lord knows that he does not really need the money, Mr. Al Davis took care of that.
For as much as Charles gave the Packers on the field, some of the most overlooked aspect of him is the generosity off the field.
Wherever he lands, I will be a Charles Woodson fan. Special player.. Thanks Chuck.
Greatest post-game speech ever after the NFC championship game in 2010:
“Lets be one mind. one heartbeat. one purpose. one goal, for one game. One. Lets get it.
Now the President doesn’t want to come watch us in the Superbowl? Guess what? We’ll go see him! Give me a White House on 3!”
It doesn’t sound like it but I hope he retires. He’s lost a step or two but remains a very instinctive player, just not at the same level he was just two seasons ago.
For teams like the Vikings who covet ex Packers, especially ex Packers who are no longer close to what they used to be, Woodson can step in and be an upgrade. The Packers have to find their long term answer at Safety and they clearly decided it wasn’t Woodson.
The Packer’s secondary will never be the same…
Woodson in philly? I think Ed Reed is more realistic.
ONE!
couldn’t have done it better in GB, this is the ugly business part, good luck chuck !!!
i have known it’s a bussiness.
but when it comes to the packers. i truley hate to see a packer leave. i have been a packer fan for over 60 years. it still hurts when i have to say good bye.
charles i wish you well. thank you for so many wonderful memories.
I’ll take you in CHI-TOWN charles..You can replace that weak saftey we got in Chris Conte!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!
Bring em to the Vikes, we could use him.
And before the Packer rubes start crying about loyalty or “sloppy seconds” or something, football is a business. As much as you’d like for players to be like college football players in their “love” for your city, that’s just not the case.
So upset we let Charles go,When we got an underperforming AJ Hawk and overrated clay Mathews and raji. Hawk should have been cut immediately and I’m so tired of Mathews getting ran out of plays. He is not the best player on defense. Wood sons leadership will be missed.
Best wishes!
Retire and go out on top.
juke1220 says:
Feb 15, 2013 4:28 PM
Come home to Detroit!
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His agent said he wants to play for a contender. The lions are not that close!!!
rcunningham says:
Feb 15, 2013 4:52 PM
Bring em to the Vikes, we could use him.
And before the Packer rubes start crying about loyalty or “sloppy seconds” or something, football is a business. As much as you’d like for players to be like college football players in their “love” for your city, that’s just not the case.
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Whats a rube?
which overrated packers d play gets cut next
I’d LOVE to see him in Miami….but he wants to play for a contender
Reggie McKenzie is licking his chops! Our shut down cornerback is coming back home!
after kaepernick strolled past him for that touchdown his time was up
Lol guys…. Colts, steelers, eagles, vikings, lions? He said he wants to win a SUPERBOWL…. Next year not in 5 years. Hes going to the seahawks. Richard sherman already tweeted him saying to come join the L.O.B. Yall really think woodsons gon say no to sherm worm?
Makes me sick. The freed up cash obviously won’t go to other free agents. A bad defense just got worse.
Eagles will almost definitely go after him
Green Bay got one if it’s all time greats and another Lombardi Trophy out of this marriage. And Woodson got piles and piles of cash, and a ring.
Gotta love a happy ending.
Unfortunately, the Packers realized that their D was just as awful with him in the lineup as opposed to him sitting on the sidelines with an injury. That said, this is a good move to get younger and faster.
Either way, it’s tough to see Charles go, with all he meant to the organization.
Get real. He ain’t playing for Dallas, Oakland or Philly. If he comes back he’s going to play for one of the final 8 teams from last season.
Never mind about Philly. He’s 37!
He always looked better in Silver and Black.
Please come to Cleveland. We are in dire need of on field leadership. Unless you have no desire to play anymore, you would be welcomed here with open arms.
As long as he can play safety or slot corner, he can squeeze 1-2 more productive years out of his career. If he insists on being an ‘island’ corner on the outside, contending teams should pass on him.
I was hoping he would be back for one more year at a reduced salary, but thanks for everything you did in Green Bay, Charles. You will always have a special place in our hearts. Good luck in the future.
Are the Packers really going to be a better team without him?
Charles Woodson in Denver would be nice. Denver needs a playmaker at safety. Anyone saying he’s going to Oakland is crazy! He wants to play for a contender.
Without a doubt my favorite Packer since his signing, which was TT’s first (and one of only a mere handful to this date) major free-agency signing. I remember Charles thinking he was going to Tampa or Miami or somewhere warm until the Packers called. Said he paid a visit and thought that was a good choice. Also a major selling point at the time was that Green Bay was the only team willing to entertain the idea of him playing some wide out. That never happened, I remember that first season he skipped all the “voluntary” mini camps etc. Came into Training camp, but the first eight games of that season were hit and miss. Lot’s of mistakes and getting juked etc. After one of those games, a reporter asked him if he was still thinking about wide out, Woodson said (something to the effect), “Wide receiver? I can’t even think about that right now, I need to figure out how to the job done defense.” I don’t think the wide out thing ever came up again, but he won me over that day. Love the guy, will miss him dearly, and I will root for him where ever he lands (except the times he may happen to end playing his former team, of course!). Good luck Chuck!
They should of cut Hawk instead!
Ted Thompson trashing yet another well respected veteran.
In the Weeds says: Feb 15, 2013 4:35 PM
Come on down to Dallas, man.
The Boys Need Leadership.
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I can’t tell whether to give this a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down. I don’t want to see Woodson go to a division rival, but I agree the Cowboys do need leadership.
With all due respect to Monte Kiffin, and all due to respect (ie. little or none) to Jason Garrett; Dallas needs a hard-nosed NFL vet and natural leader who can act as an intermediary between the players and their fifteen-year-old head coach and 90-year old defensive coordinator.
Put him next to Harrison smith in Minnesota!
The part of today’s game I hate. Only a few guys like Driver ever get to stay the course. I will miss seeing you out there Sunday. Good luck Charles. And thank you.
My favorite Woodson memory was of him getting run over by Jacobs in 07 NFC Championship.
I hope there’s a chance Packers bring him back as a coach if he decides to retire a Packer!:)
It’s sad when you see a player be so good for years, then a team just cuts him cuz he’s older… I don’t think the pack have a better safety then him on the roster.. He probably hates the raiders organization like everybody except raider fans, so he wouldn’t want to rot away there! They will never be a contender anyway… Move to LA!! Change the name!! And the packers don’t have a nation.. So there is NO PACKER NATION.. Never existed.. And SEAHAWKS L.o.b.?? just cuz your lil b**ch team calls them self that doesn’t mean anything!! You don’t run nothing but your mouths!! And the NINERS RUN THE NFC..
This aint no happy ending packers fans this is the Packers chopping every contract they can to make room for Rodgers and his 120 million dollar contract. Woodson, Jennings, Finley, and Driver is gone and look for them to throw Benson out too.
Denver is looking for secondary depth right? He can go there and rub it in Peyton’s face how he beat him for the Heisman every day in practice haha.
I could see him going back to Oakland on a two year deal. They need a safety.
chi01town says: Feb 15, 2013 6:30 PM
This aint no happy ending packers fans this is the Packers chopping every contract they can to make room for Rodgers and his 120 million dollar contract. Woodson, Jennings, Finley, and Driver is gone and look for them to throw Benson out too.
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Considering Rodgers dominance over the Bears, its money well spent.
NEWSFLASH: Saints hire Woodson to be next season’s version of Darren Sharper. From worst to first!
He will go to the wait for it the hated New England Patriots..sigh lol the evil empire of football haha we actually do need someone like him though him or reed would suffice. Not to mention at least he gets one last shot at another ring. Yeah I just said that
Just the beginning of the Packers slow downward spiral into being just an average team.
Packers secondary just got way better. He was a liability in the passing game, and has been for two years. Their young guys are way better.
This sucks, first its Mr Driver……Now its Mr Woodson.
I have two more jerseys to hang next to the Favre on my wall.
For you wanting him on the Vikings,,,get real! The Vikings are a young team looking for a future SB. Adding geriatric players like Woody is not what we need. His day is done.
Charles has been one of the most dominant players on the defensive side of the ball in the past generation. His trophy case is among the most impressive in all of amateur and professional football. Good luck, CW!
Bears should sign him as a receiver. Cutler is used to throwing to him
Muskyhunter does not know what a rube is. A rube is an unsophisticated person from a rural area. Not knowing what a rube is probably makes you one.
Ya we are adding young players to minny but he plays at a high level and our young secondary needs more guys like Winfield to teach. The youngry thing didn’t work out so well in Tampa, except dougie
Wait if he goes to Philly they would have the dream team right?? Oh wait…
Buffalo could use some help at the Safety position now that they released their starting SS. Jarius Byrd and Charles Woodson would make a great Safety team. Buffalo definitely has the cap room.
Thanks For everything CW.
Reed and Woodson with the pats??? That’s too much savvy play.
Opportunity is knocking, Miami; please answer the door!
If the Dolphins are going to overpay somebody in the secondary, I’d rather that somebody be Charles Woodson than Sean Smith.
That’s a great picture of Charles hoisting up the Lombardi Trophy. He’ll always be remembered as a champion in Green Bay.
if he can humble himself he can contribute as a back up and mentor to a young starter.
Sorry, chuckie. You were great. Now your old. Join the club. Sorry about the $10 million. Hope you saved some of your salary you didn’t earn the last 3 seasons. So long.
Welcome to minny , Charles
raiderlyfe510 says: Feb 15, 2013 4:42 PM
Once a Raider, always a Raider.
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Funny I bet he enters the hall as a Packer not a Raider. He will go with the team that finally got him the ring.
he would complement the front seven of the Washington redskins perfectly. not to mention help “up” the play of Deangelo Hall. he wants to play for a contender and he knows that a healthy RGIII would have handled the Seahawks no problem. Danny boy will find a way to get him under the cap and backload the contract til next year when the phony a$$ penalty will be over. So welcome to D.C. you only have to switch the green we got plenty of gold.
Yes, Buffalo… Another small, cold weather town where football is the biggest game in town. George Wilson was considered a “leader” on that defense. Woodson would DEFINITELY be a leader of that young secondary.
pakrbakr says:
Feb 15, 2013 4:33 PM
Well at least the Vikes will get another Packer HOFer. Thanks Chuck for all you did!!
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Gross. We wouldn’t even want him in his prime.
What a stupid move!
He is gonna go to the Vikings or the raiders… I think the raiders are a better choice.
His one-handed sideline interception of MSU’s Todd Schultz when he tried to throw it away is my favorite football highlight.
For everyone blasting the Packers and saying they will be worse, remove some emotion. Of course, We will all miss him in Green Bay. Woodson was a great pick up and great player, but he’s not near what he was. Father Time never loses. The reason the Packers consistently win is because they make these decisions. Even though the decision is not popular. That is why they are gen managers and coaches and we are fans. Go Pack Go!
contraisloosebuthole says:
Feb 15, 2013 11:17 PM
raiderlyfe510 says: Feb 15, 2013 4:42 PM
Once a Raider, always a Raider.
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Funny I bet he enters the hall as a Packer not a Raider. He will go with the team that finally got him the ring.
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If Woodson is smart he would go in as a Packer. Raiders are blackballed from the Hall of Fame. Nobody cares about the Wack hall of fame anyways. Way too many great players are excluded from that hall of fame to take it seriously.
You are where you come from. Charles Woodson is a Raider period, point-blank.
in the NFL, you go in the Hall of Fame as a individual player. Not with a team.
For the guy who made up the word “Rube”. How rural is the Gold Coast here in Chicago?
Thanks to hiring professional money management people to handle his money, Charles has probably made more money from his off field investments and his player’s salary. He could play for free and still make more money that what any team would pay him. If he plays it will be for another ring.
He will be missed by the Packers and by Green Bay. An all to uncommon combination of great character and great talent.
Woodson going to the Vikes? You guys couldn’t even get a ring in the bathtub.
All class…..Good luck Charles, any team would be better with you on it.
Bring him to Denver he can still play
Thompsons moves are not always easy to understand. This is one of them.