"Boy, that escalated quickly. I mean, that really got out of hand fast." -- Ron Burgundy.
The Indianapolis Colts released Vontae Davis on Thursday morning.
Cutting the cornerback comes after a week of turmoil.
Davis was inactive in Sunday's victory in Houston. The Colts called the benching a coach's decision, not injury related. The veteran corner believed otherwise, and on Wednesday afternoon called out the staff for being "disrespected." He was listed as limited in practice this week.
On Wednesday night, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Davis would have season-ending surgery to fix a groin issue after getting a second opinion on the nagging injury.
Thursday, the Colts outright released the 29-year-old disgruntled corner.
"Every decision that we make, that I make, is based on two things -- what's best for the football team and what gives us the best chance to win," Colts coach Chuck Pagano told reporters per ESPN on Thursday. "This isn't about one guy. No one is bigger than the team ... only thing that matters is the football team. I love Vontae. But we're putting this to bed."
Rapoport reported that Davis will still undergo surgery, which will end his season. While the veteran is subject to waivers, no team will grab the $4.24 million left on his contract for the soon-to-be free agent.
Set to hit the open market this offseason, if the groin injury is fixed, the physical corner should have a healthy number of teams interest. The Colts, however, won't be one.
UPDATE: Davis cleared waivers Friday.
