Mathias Kiwanuka, the defensive end for the New York Giants, has just been cut from the team. Reports indicated that the release of the veteran athlete is part of the team's cost-cutting measures for the 2015 NFL season.
News about Kiwanuka's release was first reported by NFL.com correspondent Kimberly Jones through a tweet, according to Bleacher Report. This was then immediately confirmed by the Giants through a press release.
Kiwanuka first joined the Giants in 2006 as the team's 32nd draft pick. He played for the team for a total of nine seasons and aided the Giants in its two Super Bowl wins in 2008 and 2012. In both years, the Giants faced off and won against the New England Patriots.
Although the officials from the Giants did not provide an explanation regarding Kiwanuka's release in the press statement, NJ.com pointed out that the matter may have something to do with the team's budget cuts this offseason.
Based on Kiwanuka's contract, he still has one year with the Giants and has a base salary of about $4.8 million. However, if the team waits for his contract to end, they will end up shelling out $7.45 million. By letting him go now, the team will be able to save $4.83 million by spending only $2.63 million for the salary cap.
In addition to the financial aspect, the team saw a decline in Kiwanuka's performance during the 2014 NFL season. Aside from suffering from a knee injury, the 31-year-old player was only in 11 games and finished with only 28 tackles last season.
In the press release from the Giants, general manager Jerry Reese and head coach Tom Coughlin commended Kiwanuka for his contributions to the team and his enthusiasm for the sport.
"Mathias has a warrior mentality," Reese said in a statement. "He has been the ultimate team player for this franchise, and was a true pro from day one."
