Tamba Hali Released by Chiefs After 12 Seasons with Team

The Kansas City Chiefs have released veteran defensive end Tamba Hali on Monday, ending his 12-year stint with the franchise.

Hali confirmed the move via his Twitter account:

Adam Schefter of ESPN first reported the news.

The veteran will finish his Kansas City tenure with 89.5 sacks, second in franchise history behind Derrick Thomas (126.5).

Hali, 34, is a five-time Pro Bowler who registered 8.5 or more sacks in every season between 2009-13. His production has dipped in the past two years, however, as Hali notched just 3.5 sacks in 2016 and only appeared in five games last year, posting just one tackle on the season.

He spent the first two months of the 2017 season on the physically unable to perform list due to chronic knee issues. And with Justin Houston, Dee Ford and Frank Zombo available as edge-rushers at the outside linebacker position in Kansas City, Hali became expendable.

And his move will save the Chiefs a substantial amount of money. According to Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk, "Hali had one year left on his contract and would have cost $9.4 million against the Chiefs’ cap this year. Instead he’ll carry a $1.7 million dead cap charge, meaning the move saves the Chiefs $7.7 million in cap space."

It's been a transformative offseason for Kansas City's defense. Star cornerback Marcus Peters was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, while the team already announced that veteran linebacker Derrick Johnson won't be re-signed this offseason.