A longtime player and a prominent figure for the New Orleans Saints, six-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl winner safety Jahri Evans, was released Monday along with three other players.
ESPN reported Evans' departure from the Saints, who also bid farewell to linebackers David Hawthorne and Ramon Humber, and receiver Seantavius Jones.
Evans has been a starter for New Orleans in all 10 seasons of his stint with the team since getting selected in the fourth round (108th overall) of the 2006 National Football League (NFL) Draft.
The 32-year-old safety was part of the last championship-winning Saints team which was victorious against the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.
According to ESPN, Evans' age and the Saints' annual salary cap may have been factors in the release of the veteran.
New Orleans is $10 million over the projected salary cap and by letting go of Evans and the other three players, the team was able to save over $6 million, the report added.
Now, Evans will be one of the players in the league who are set to search for new teams ahead of the 2016 season. In ESPN's report, Jerrold Colton, Evan's agent, said the safety is thankful for his stint with the Saints and is ready for the next chapter.
Meanwhile Hawthorne, who was a former starter in his NFL career, lost the starting job last season and only saw five starts in 11 games, making his release less surprising.
Humber has always been a backup for New Orleans, while Jones just played three games in the 2015 season and is a non-factor being third in New Orleans' depth chart at the wide receiver position.
The Saints finished the season third in the National Football Conference (NFC) South with a 7–9 record for the second consecutive year. It was also the second straight season that they failed to make it to the playoffs.
