There’s been no official word out of Cincinnati nor any reports from media members covering the team, but it seems linebacker James Harrison’s stay with the Bengals is over after one year.
Harrison joined the Bengals last year after being released by the Steelers and played a much smaller role on the defense than he did during his days in Pittsburgh. Harrison held up well against the run, but got just two sacks in 15 games. It doesn’t appear they’ll be getting any more in 2014 after Harrison took to Twitter to say goodbye and thanks to Bengals fans.
Many thanks to all the @Bengals fans for your support over the last year - I had a great time in Cincinnati.
— James Harrison (@jharrison9292) March 13, 2014
It reads like Harrison, who was set to make $1.1 million with another $250,000 available via per-game roster bonuses, has been released rather than that he’s decided to retire. If he has been released, it may be a precursor to a retirement announcement as Harrison turns 36 in June and is clearly nearing the end of the line if he isn’t already there.
UPDATE 1:53 p.m. ET: The Bengals have announced Harrison’s release.