Von Miller hoped the chatter was fake news. The end result could be that the Broncos have a real problem.
James Palmer of NFL Media reports that Ward’s now-former teammates are upset with the decision to release the three-time Pro Bowl safety. It was obvious the move was coming earlier this week, when the Broncos started making calls about trading Ward. But until it happened, other Broncos players could brush it off as rumors or idle chatter or, yes, fake news.
As Palmer notes, Ward was “loved” in the locker room and regarded as a leader on the team. But that $4.5 million salary dragged him down, especially since the Broncos had younger, cheaper options that, in the view of the football operation, can get the job done.
Ward now becomes a free agent, able to sign with any other team. The question becomes whether someone else will offer him anything close to $4.5 million for 2017.