Colts release Bob Sanders

The Indianapolis Colts and Safety Bob Sanders are no more.

After suffering injuries through the last three seasons, in which he played in only 9 of 48 games, the 2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year shouldn’t be too surprised by the news.

Colts owner Jim Irsay tweeted the news on Friday morning:

We have released Bob Sanders today. We thank Bob 4 all his incredible contributions from his Sup Bowl pic 2 def player of year honors.

The Colts drafted Sanders in the second round of the 2004 draft, and after making the Pro Bowl in 2005 and 2007, Indianapolis signed Sanders to a five-year, $37.5 million contract that was due to expire next year. Sanders’ salary cap number this past season, in which he appeared in one game, was $5.081 million.

Sanders released the following statement:

“I want to thank Mr. Irsay for the opportunity to play with the Colts. I appreciate all he and the organization did for me throughout my career, and I always will consider myself a Colt. I want to thank the fans also for their great support. They played a big part in making my seven years with the team very rewarding.”