The Chiefs’ decision to cut cornerback Stanford Routt on Monday came as a surprise to Routt and his agent.
Vann McElroy, Routt’s agent, told the Kansas City Star he didn’t see the release coming and isn’t sure why it happened.
“I’m still trying to figure it out,” McElroy said. “It’s a weird situation.”
Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel said that Routt wasn’t getting acclimated to the Chiefs’ defense as quickly as the team had hoped, but McElroy found it surprising that the Chiefs would give up on a player they just gave a $4.2 million signing bonus in March.
“I know they’re 1-7, and they’re looking for reasons . . . I have no clue what happened,” said McElroy. “I’ve got a call in to Scott [Pioli]. I talked to Stanford, and he’s about as surprised and shocked and down as one can be. He doesn’t totally understand it either.”
Although things didn’t work out in Kansas City, Routt had started seven games before the Chiefs cut him, and he was a starter the last two years in Oakland, too. A cornerback who’s good enough to start doesn’t become available in the middle of a season very often. So as big a surprise as it was that the Chiefs cut Routt, it will be an even bigger surprise if he remains unemployed for long.