Former Saints linebacker Junior Galette soon will have a chance to sign with any team he wants. The question is whether any team will want to sign him.
Galette tells Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate that the former Saint passed a physical over the weekend, paving the way for his official release.
Once officially released, Galette’s four-plus years of service will make him eligible for instant free agency.
So who will sign him? The NFL is still considering how to handle the aftermath of an arrest from earlier this year (the charges were dropped, possibly after a civil settlement was reached with the alleged victim) and a 2013 video showing Galette hitting a woman in the face with a belt during a beach brawl.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Saints waited as long as possible to cut Galette, in the hopes that the NFL would take action that would allow the Saints to possibly collect some of the signing bonus money previously paid to him. While the Saints realize they made a mistake in signing Galette to a new contract last year (and in converting a $12.5 million roster bonus to a signing bonus in March), they chose not to compound the mistake by keeping him around to justify the money already spent.
Galette was no locker-room darling in New Orleans; other players on other teams may not be thrilled about the possibility of bringing Galette to town. Beyond whatever opinions have made their way through the NFL grapevine from New Orleans to other cities, an apparent social media rant from Galette that emerged over the weekend could make a prospective employer less inclined to employ Galette.
Galette’s agent, Alvin Keels, has not confirmed that Galette made the statements, which some think were posed onto a social-media account belonging to his girlfriend. Keels may need to have a thorough explanation, if he’s going to convince someone else to take a chance on being the next team that becomes the potential target of Galette’s online ire.
Considering how Galette has treated a team that paid him $18 million since September, how would he treat a team that pays him a lot less than that?