NFL News and Rumors: A.J. Hawk Cut From Packers, but Isn't Packing Up Quite Yet?

In an oddity in the NFL world, especially with the main focus of things being labor talks and the collective bargaining arguments, Green Bay Packers linebacker—and recent Super Bowl champion—A.J. Hawk was released from the Packers yesterday.

Not only was he released, but fellow teammates Donald Lee and Derrick Martin were released as well.

Why would the Packers do such a thing? Hawk has been a founding father in Green Bay's rush attack defense and contributed a lot to the pass defense department as well—three interceptions and 10 passes deflected for Hawk.

Never missing a game being a cheesehead, shouldn't he stay?

General manager Ted Thompson believes he will stay and re-sign with the Packers, as they looked to get the business side of things out of the way.

"With A.J., the business side of the game is driving this decision," Packers general manager Ted Thompson said in a statement announcing Hawk's release. "We're hopeful that we can continue to work with A.J. to have him be a part of our team in the future."—From NFL.com.

With money being one of the biggest problems in the NFL right now and with the uncertainty of their being a NFL season next fall, cutting Hawk, Lee and Martin was a smart decision.

Hawk had an expensive $10.5 million coming his way, while Lee had $2.2 million and Martin only $750,000.

What are the chances of other teams sneaking in there and grabbing Hawk by the hairs? Well, the Packers organization hopes there are no chances.

But he's fair game right now, providing a team has the money that Hawk is looking for—if he is unable to re-sign with Green Bay, that is. Especially after winning a Super Bowl with that team, why look to go anywhere else?

All Hawk can do right now is wait—wait for all the labor talks to be over and wait for his fate to be decided next season by a simple phone call from, really, any team right now.

Remember, Ted Thompson said he was hopeful that they could re-sign Hawk and continue to have him help out on a defense that was one of the best in the playoffs in the last few months. The likelihood of Hawk being a lock for the Packers next season isn't at 95 or 100 percent—even though Packer fans might want to think so.