Fansided

Report: New Orleans Saints release Junior Galette

By Cody Williams

Sep 21, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints outside linebacker Junior Galette (93) against the Minnesota Vikings during the second half of a game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints defeated the Vikings 20-9. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 21, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints outside linebacker Junior Galette (93) against the Minnesota Vikings during the second half of a game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints defeated the Vikings 20-9. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New Orleans Saints are reportedly set to release linebacker Junior Galette.

Junior Galette played in all 16 games for the New Orleans Saints in the 2014 NFL season, racking up 10 sacks along with 45 combined tackles and three forced fumbles on the year. However, with recent conduct issues off the field and the fact that he’s due $16.2 million next season, he’s apparently no longer worth the trouble for the Saints.

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Ian Rapoport of NFL.com is reporting that the Saints are set to release Galette, despite the enormous amount of dead money left on his contract and the financial repercussions of such a move:

Cutting Galette is a bold move financially for the Saints as it appeared as though it would be impossible to do so until at least after the 2017 season, two years before the deal would expire. Now the Saints will have to pay Galette approximately $36 million in dead money over the next three seasons (via Spotrac).

However, it’s not suprising that New Orleans would be looking to cut ties with Galette given his recent history off the gridiron. Galette was arrested in January for domestic violence, though the charges were eventually dropped. In June, a video then surfaced of a brawl in 2013 that allegedly shows Galette striking a woman with a belt.

This is a move that will undoubtedly put the Saints in even more dire financial straits than they are already in. From a point of reputation and ethics, however, the Saints made the right call by not keeping Galette on their roster for any longer.

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