Linebacker Daryl Washington has not seen action in an NFL game since 2013 and we now know that he’ll be wearing a different uniform the next time he does. The Arizona Cardinals announced that they had released the former Pro Bowl linebacker on Thursday.
We have released LB Daryl Washington.
More info: https://t.co/pv1wdhqP3N pic.twitter.com/MBMq0G1yOI
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) May 11, 2017
Washington had been suspended twice over the last four-plus years: once for four games in 2013 and then was indefinitely suspended in 2014 following multiple violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He also plead guilty to aggravated assault of his ex-girlfriend in 2014.
Washington had been conditionally reinstated by the NFL just two just prior to this year’s NFL Draft. Cardinals team president Michael Bidwill told Sirius XM Radio on Wednesday that the front office had met with Washington earlier this week and he hoped to have an answer “one way or another” regarding Washington’s status on the team. Head coach Bruce Arians told ESPN on Wednesday that Bidwill would make the final decision to the linebacker’s status. As it turns out, he appears to have decided that Washington needed a change of scenery.
In a statement to ProFootballTalk.com, Washington thanked Bidwill and general manager Steve Keim for their support and is ready to move on to the next chapter, saying in part, “We’ve had some really positive and productive discussions this week, and at the end of the day we mutually agreed it was best for both sides to get a fresh start. I’m in the best shape of my life, and very much look forward to the next opportunity, where I will again play at an All-Pro level and help my team make a championship run.”
The former Irving High and TCU linebacker has 389 tackles, 18 sacks, 6 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles in four NFL seasons and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2012. With his time in Arizona now over, the former second round pick of 2010 will look for a new home in the league.
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