Linebacker Karlos Dansby had his contract terminated by the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday.
Dansby signed a four-year, $24 million deal with the Browns in 2014 and posted 201 tackles in 28 games the past two seasons. He is the only active NFL player with at least 40 career sacks and 15 interceptions, but Dansby was due to earn $5 million in base salary with a $6.5 million cap hit.
His release will save the Browns $3.5 million against the cap, with $3 million in a “dead cap” hit for the pro-rated portion of his $6 million signing bonus.
“We want to thank Karlos for his service to the Cleveland Browns during the past two seasons,” Browns executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown said. “He was a dedicated, hard-working leader of our defense and we wish him the best as he continues his career.”
Dansby, 34, is entering his 13th NFL season out of Auburn. He played his first six seasons with the Arizona Cardinals before spending three seasons with the Miami Dolphins.
He has 19 career interceptions, 41 sacks and has scored six touchdowns – including two interceptions returned for touchdowns last season, when Dansby led Cleveland with 108 tackles.