The New York Giants have released cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, the team announced Sunday.
Rodgers-Cromartie, 31, was entering the final year of a five-year, $35 million contract. He would have counted $8.5 million against the salary cap in 2018, and the Giants will save $6.5 million by releasing him.
Rodgers-Cromartie thanked the Giants in an Instagram post Sunday morning:
Before releasing him, the Giants had asked Rodgers-Cromartie to take a pay cut, but he declined. They also considered trying him at free safety, a source told ESPN's Jordan Raanan. The two-time Pro Bowler has played cornerback his entire 10-year career, starting on the outside early in his career before being shifted inside to the slot the past two seasons.
Rodgers-Cromartie has 30 career interceptions but had none in 2017 after matching his career high with six in 2016. He was suspended for one game last season by then-coach Ben McAdoo for leaving practice without permission.
He insisted he mishandled the events leading to his suspension in October, both in how he acted during a game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 8 and two days later when McAdoo told him he would be inactive for a trip to Denver.
"To be honest, Coach called me up and he said some things and I kind of didn't agree with it and I handled it the wrong way," Rodgers-Cromartie said then. "At the end of the day, that's on me. So the suspension, I take that. All I can do is try to work back to get in good grace with the guys. I'm just glad that they didn't let this turn them from me and they accepted me and I'm just back working, man."
Janoris Jenkins remains the only proven cornerback on the Giants, with troubled Eli Apple still on the roster and potentially slated to replace Rodgers-Cromartie in the lineup.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.