FOXBORO, Mass., March 9 (UPI) -- Veteran linebacker Willie McGinest has been released by the New England Patriots.
The team said the release came Wednesday night, shortly after the announcement that there was a six-year extension of the NFL's collective bargaining agreement.
McGinest, 34, played 12 seasons with the Patriots and is the league's all-time leader in sacks in the post-season, a mark he set in the 2005-06 post-season.
His ouster was a cost-cutting move as he was owed $7 million for next season. He told the Boston Globe last week that he saw the move coming. McGinest started all 18 games last season and had 56 tackles and six sacks. In his career, he has 666 tackles, four interceptions, and is third on the team's all-time sacks list with 78.
He joins a growing list of highly-paid veterans who have met the same fate recently, including LaVar Arrington, Isaac Bruce, Junior Seau and Jamie Sharper.
