NFL Rumors: Washington Redskins Give Up On Chris Culliver

NFL rumors are swirling around Chris Culliver. It appears that the Washington Redskins have decided to give up on the talented cornerback. According to the Washington Post, Culliver is expected to be released this week. This comes a year after the franchise handed him a $32 million contract to be their top coverage guy. The Redskins made some moves over the past couple of weeks that enabled them to move on from Culliver and head in a different direction.

Chris Culliver has had issues with his knees. In the past three years, he has suffered two torn ACL injuries. His most recent one was during a Thanksgiving Day practice. It ended his season and eventually tenure with the Washington Redskins. Reconstructive surgery was required, and there are those that believe that Culliver might never be at 100 percent ever again. NFL teams can only wait so long for injured players to recover because the need to win now is very much present.

Josh Norman became an unexpected option at cornerback for the Washington Redskins last month. The Carolina Panthers decided that they would be better off signing other players instead of allotting a huge salary to Norman. General manager Dave Gettleman really wanted to keep his star defender around, but in the end, he wisely opted to add depth to the defense. Wanting badly to make an impact in free agency, the Redskins handed Norman a $75 million contract, which is more than what any other cornerback is making in the NFL.

The Washington Redskins went into the NFL Draft this past week with the intention of improving their pass defense. Being ranked 25th in the league on that side of the ball isn’t going to win you very many games. In the third round, they selected Virginia Tech Hokies star Kendall Fuller, someone with potential to be a contributor if he can stay healthy.

The Washington Redskins also have Bashaud Breeland on the roster. He has started to emerge as a solid cornerback in the NFL. The Redskins love his competitiveness, as Breeland has vowed to be a better defender than Josh Norman. If they become one of the better coverage duos in the National Football League and Kendall Fuller contributes, then it’s easy to see why Washington opted to part ways with Chris Culliver.

As for the future of Chris Culliver, retirement from the NFL could be his best option. More and more players are walking away from the game early because they are concerned about their long-term health. Recovering from a torn ACL injury takes a toll on you, both physically and mentally. Culliver might not want to deal with that anymore. He might decide that it’s time for the simpler life.

Of course, it’s not impossible for Chris Culliver to continue his career in the NFL. He still is just 27-years-old. There’s still some time left for him. The hard part is finding a team in the National Football League that will give him a chance. There’s a lot of fresh, young bodies coming out of the college ranks every spring. General managers might find it more appealing to take a chance on one of them instead.

Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan has stated that the team has not completely closed the door on Chris Culliver just yet. That may or may not be public relations speak to help the player potentially find another suitor in the NFL. Injuries do take place during the regular season. Plus, rookies don’t always pan out. Culliver might potentially find himself receiving a phone call from McCloughan later this fall.