Carl Poston, the agent for Woodson, first told NFL.com that the club would be releasing his client.

“They’re getting ready to release him. It’s part of the business,” Poston said. “I just talked to him. He sounds like he has a lot of football left. He’d like to play for a contender, win another Super Bowl.”

Woodson was set to make $9 million in 2013 and would count for $10 million against the Packers’ salary cap.

Woodson, who signed a five-year deal before the 2010 season that was worth as much as $55 million, missed nine games last season because of a broken right collarbone and played in two playoff games for the Packers. He moved from cornerback to safety last season because of diminishing cover skills.

“We had a good run,” Woodson wrote to ESPNWisconsin.com in a text message.

Woodson was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1998. He spent the first eight years of his career with the Oakland Raiders, who drafted him out of Michigan with the No. 4 overall pick.

He’s the only player in NFL history with touchdowns off interceptions in six straight seasons, a feat he pulled off each year from 2006 to 2011, and leads the league with nine touchdowns off interceptions since 2006.

Woodson was productive for the Packers, but they have some tough decisions to make this offseason to manage the salary cap. Woodson had a year left on his lucrative deal and linebacker A.J. Hawk is under contract next year for a team that probably wants to give long-term deals to receiver James Jones, linebacker Clay Matthews and defensive tackle B.J. Raji because each of the relatively young standouts could potentially be free agents following next season.

Despite his age and recent injury, Woodson will likely be an in-demand free agent. He was injured last October, bounced back in time to defend two passes in the playoffs.

“Charles has been a stud in this league for 15 years, so whenever he’s on the field with us, he’s always a huge threat,” Hawk said in January. “Not only is he a threat to make huge plays throughout the game, but quarterbacks, I think they know where he’s at every single play. He seems to know what receivers are running before they do. And I think he has an intimidation factor as well.”

Woodson had a career-high nine interceptions in 2009 and picked off seven passes in 2011 and made one interception in seven games during last year’s injury-shortened season.

The 1997 Heisman Trophy winner led Michigan to the 1997 national championship and has donated more than $2 million to the University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital and Women’s Hospital, where he supports pediatric clinical research. With the Packers, he was a leader as one of the best players on the team and as a mentor to younger players.

“He’s like a big brother to all of us,” former Green Bay safety Nick Collins once said.

The post Charles Woodson to be released appeared first on IdealCapper.

Lewis said, “It is time for me to create a new legacy” after 17 NFL seasons.

He intends to play for the first time since tearing his triceps two months ago when the Ravens host the Colts in Sunday’s wild-card game, saying: “There is no reason for me to not play,” according to The Baltimore Sun.

Sunday likely will be Lewis’ final game in Baltimore even if the Ravens win because of their No. 4 seed entering the playoffs.

“I talked to my team today,” Lewis said Wednesday. “I talked to them about life in general. And everything that starts has an end. For me, today, I told my team that this will be my last ride.”

He returned to practice on Dec. 5, and for him to be eligible for the playoffs, the Ravens added him to the active roster later in the month.

Colts coach Chuck Pagano, Lewis’ defensive coordinator last year, said, “I thought, shoot, the guy could play forever and would play forever. Great person, great man, great player, just an unbelievable human being — what he’s done for that organization, that city and for that matter, so many people. He’s obviously a first-ballot Hall of Famer and will be sorely missed.”

Lewis has gone to 12 Pro Bowls, been named first-team All-Pro seven times and been voted NFL Defensive Player of the Year twice. He led the Ravens in tackles in 14 of his 17 seasons, the exceptions being those years in which he missed significant time with injuries (2002, 2005, 2012).

According to Stats & Information, only four players in NFL history have been to more Pro Bowls than Lewis (Bruce Matthews, 14; Jerry Rice, 13; Reggie White, 13; Tony Gonzalez, 13).

“I never played the game for individual stats. I only played the game to make my team a better team,” he said.

Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs, who is almost always upbeat, said of the announcement: “It was sad. It affected me, because for the past 10 years of my career, I’ve been sitting right next to the man and going to war on Sundays. It’s going to one hard last ride, and we need to make it one to remember.”

Lewis led the Ravens to the 2000 Super Bowl title when he was the key figure on a defense that set the NFL record for fewest points allowed in a 16-game season.

Lewis had hinted at retirement previously. He said last summer that he couldn’t see himself playing past age 37. Lewis turned 37 in May.

Lewis wants to spend more time with his two sons. While working to return from his injury, Lewis watched them play on the same high school football team, and he intends to watch Ray Lewis III perform as a freshman next year for his alma mater, the University of Miami.

“God is calling,” Lewis said. “My children have made the ultimate sacrifice for their father for 17 years. I don’t want to see them do that no more. I’ve done what I wanted to do in this business, and now it’s my turn to give them something back.”

Which means he’ll pull off his No. 52 uniform for the last time after the Ravens are eliminated or win the Super Bowl.

“It’s either hold on to the game and keep playing and let my kids miss out on times we can be spending together,” Lewis said. “Because I always promised my son if he got a full ride on scholarship, Daddy is going to be there. I can’t miss that.”

Lewis could have made the announcement during the offseason, but thought it best to do it now.

“I think my fans, my city, I think they deserved for me to just not walk away,” he said. “We all get to enjoy what Sunday will feel like, knowing that this will be the last time 52 plays in a uniform in Ravens stadium.”

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