What some of us saw as inevitable, and what most people see as a business decision, Colts Safety, and 2007 Defensive Player of the Year Bob Sanders has been released by the Colts today. From Jim Irsay's Twitter:
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.
Sanders didn't make it past quarter 2 in 2010 after tearing a bicep, the same injury but different arm that sidelined him for the latter part of 2009. In 7 seasons, he only played in 48 games, and only 9 games the past 3 seasons. The year he won Defensive Player of the Year, he played in 15, showing just what he could be if he could just stay healthy.
It's a sad day as my #21 jersey will now be retired. My favorite memory, while not talked about much, was the 3rd down defense against Troy Brown in the 2006 AFC title game. Tom Brady can point all he wants about Brown running the wrong route, but Sanders knew exactly where the ball was going the whole time, and would have knocked down that pass no matter where Brown was.
UPDATE: From CBS Rapid Reports and the Indy Star:
Bob Sanders on being released: “I want to thank Mr. [Jim] 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."