The Indianapolis Colts have decided not to re-sign longtime defense end Dwight Freeney, making him an unrestricted free agent when the signing period begins in March.
According to ESPN.com, the Colts informed Freeney of the news on Friday and told the team-franchise leader in sacks that they are not planning to bring him back for next year.
"I was very surprised to hear they wanted to go in a different direction," Freeney said in a text message to ESPN's Ed Werder. "It would have been nice to retire a Colt ... My plan is to hit the free-agent market and see who has interest."
Freeney turns 33 this offseason and although he has made seven Pro Bowls during his career, his skills have greatly diminished and he has decreased his total in sacks in each of the pas three years. Last season he had only 5.0 sacks, his lowest since 2007.
The defensive end has been a stalwart on the team since 2002 when he was the 11th overall pick in the draft. He is one of the most distinguished players in team history and Freeney played a big part during the Colts' Super Bowl run.
"Few people have meant as much to the success of the Indianapolis Colts as Dwight Freeney," Colts owner Jim Irsay said. "He has been a dominant player, which is all the more impressive considering his size for his position, and he has won a lot of games for this franchise. Dwight was an artist, a joy to watch, and the dedication he put toward his craft was a rare quality. We will miss him, but look forward to his future induction into the Hall of Fame and Colts Ring of Honor."
As a rookie he broke the franchise single-season record for sacks and he earned AFC's defensive rookie of the month in November and December. After putting up 13 sacks he finished second to Julius Peppers of the Carolina Panthers in the defensive rookie of the year voting.
Freeney's most memorable move on the defensive line is the spin, which has spread all around the NFL since he perfected it years ago. His quickness allowed him to slip past larger offensive lineman and he had the speed to chase down both running backs and quarterbacks.
He leaves the Colts with many statistical records, including the franchises career leader in sacks with 107.5, and he also is the only Colts player to lead the league in sacks in any season, when he recorded 16 in 2004.
The Colts also made a change at wide receiver, releasing Austin Collie, who has dealt with concussion issues over the past two seasons. He made 257 catches during his three years with Colts and he played just one game this season after injuring his knee.
