Defensive stalwart Antonio Pierce has been released by the New York Giants after five years in the Big Apple.
GIants linebacker latest to suffer in defensive re-shuffle
Defensive stalwart Antonio Pierce has been released by the New York Giants after five years in the Big Apple.
The 31-year-old linebacker is the latest casualty in a defensive clear-out by the Giants after the Big Blue defence conceded 427 points in the final seven games to cost them a play-off place.
Pierce missed those last seven games with a neck injury, but the Giants have decided that his time with the team has come to an end and have released him a year before the end of his current contract.
Coach Tom Coughlin and general manager Jerry Reese met with Pierce to inform him of their decision, with his age and injury thought to be among their reasons for letting him go.
Pierce was the defensive leader for the last five years, including their Super Bowl victory in 2008, and led the team in tackles for three of his five years at the Meadowlands - and he insisted their were no hard feelings.
No hard feelings
"I appreciate everything the Giants' organisation has done for me," Pierce said.
"I told both Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese when I sat in front of them that I have no animosity, I have no anger. It's nowhere near that kind of situation. You might not agree with everything that's said, but you understand how the game is. It comes and goes.
"I have nothing but very strong love for the New York Giants. Obviously, I wanted to end it when my contract ended, but it didn't. It ended a year early. But I have no regrets. I have nothing to look back on and wish I had done it differently. Now it's time to look forward at the possibilities that I have.
"When I came to New York, I wanted to be a dominant player and help this organisation win a championship, which we did in Super Bowl XLII. I wanted to be a leader, and I did that.
"I wanted to be a guy who always led by example, a guy you could count on every day. You never had to worry if A.P was going to be at practice or if he was going to show up for the game. I was going to be there."
Former Washington Redskin Pierce still thinks he can play in the NFL for a tenth season next season, and his agent Drew Rosenhaus has already said there is interest in him now he is fully fit, with his neck injury now not an issue.
Bonus
Being due $4.75 million in 2010 may have also been part of the decision, but Coughlin had nothing but praise for a man who made 686 tackles and has nine sacks and seven interceptions in his career.
"When we brought him in here, we were interested in A.P for all of the dimensions he brought to the table," Coughlin said.
"His leadership qualities, his natural charismatic ability to rally the troops, he loved football, he's a very smart football player - he took great pride in studying the tape and knowing what everybody did on defense.
"He had the ability to communicate assignments on defense as the leader in the huddle. He has worn that Giant uniform very, very proudly."
The Giants played Chase Blackburn and Jonathan Goff at middle linebacker in Pierce's absence, and they could again battle it out for the starting job in the off-season.
