When the Saints released guard Jahri Evans last month, coach Sean Payton and General Manager Mickey Loomis offered statements filled with praise for a player who had a key role during the best run in franchise history.
The Saints released another player like that when they dropped wide receiver Marques Colston with a “failed physical” designation in a move that saves them more than $3 million under the cap. The move hit the NFL’s transaction wire on Monday, but the team formally announced it Tuesday with more gushing statements like this one from owner Tom Benson.
“There have been very few players in our franchise’s history that have represented this team with the class, dignity and performance of Marques Colston,” Benson said. “In the locker room, on the field and in the community, Marques has always been a true professional, a role model and a winner who played a significant role in our team becoming a perennial contender that won a Super Bowl. On behalf of our team, I wish Marques and his family nothing but the best and they will always be an important part of our organization.”
Loomis and Payton shared similar sentiments and Colston thanked the Saints for “a dream come true” in a statement on his website. Colston closed it by saying he looks forward to the next chapter of his career, although doesn’t say if he wants that next chapter to be an 11th season as an NFL player and first with a team outside New Orleans.