Written by Nick Shook at NFL.com
Count this as one less target for Alex Smith.
The Chiefs have released wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, the team announced.
“I’d like to thank Jeremy for his effort and dedication the past two seasons,” Chiefs general manager John Dorsey said in a statement released by the team. “I have great respect for all players, which makes decisions like these very difficult, but we felt it was in the best interest of our club moving forward to part ways at this time. We wish Jeremy the best as he continues his career.”
The move, a post-June 1 release, will immediately free up $10 million in salary cap space for the Chiefs, who will split his $7.2 million dead cap money over the next two seasons ($2.4 million in 2017 and $4.8 million in 2018), according to OverTheCap.com.
Maclin seemed to be caught slightly off guard by the move.
Crazy business this is…appreciate y’all #ChiefsKingdom
— Jeremy Maclin (@jmac___19) June 2, 2017
Maclin’s marriage with the Chiefs was fruitful in Year One, catching 87 passes for 1,088 yards and eight touchdowns and emerging as Kansas City’s clear No. 1 target. Year Two wasn’t as prosperous, as the Chiefs became more of a 10-and-in offense, shortening the distance of pass attempts, utilizing playmakers on the perimeter and spreading the ball among targets.
Maclin’s numbers were cut in half, dropping to 44 catches, 536 yards and two receiving touchdowns. They nearly mirrored those of teammates Tyreek Hill (61 catches, 593 yards, six touchdowns) and Chris Conley (44 catches, 530 yards). With those two, plus emergent tight end Travis Kelce (85 grabs, 1,125 yards, four touchdowns in 2016), the win-now Chiefs decided they had enough options and would rather shed salary by releasing Maclin.
To continue reading this article, click here.
