Raiders lower linebacker Cory Littleton two years after signing former All-Professional to $35M contract, per report

Two years after signing former Rams All-Professional Cory Littleton to a three-year, $35 million deal, the Raiders are set to launch the beginning linebacker, as ESPN and NFL Media reported Thursday. Las Vegas knowledgeable the 28-year-old Littleton this week that he will likely be lower when 2022 free company formally begins March 16, in line with Tom Pelissero.

Releasing Littleton will save the Raiders a minimal of $1.76 million this offseason, per Over the Cap. If, nonetheless, they designate him as a post-June 1 lower, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler expects, they will save a complete of $11.75 million. The veteran linebacker was due roughly $15.8M this coming season, the ultimate 12 months of his profitable deal.

Undrafted out of Washington in 2016, Littleton went from special-teams specialist to play-making inside linebacker throughout a four-year run with the Rams to start out his profession. He actually emerged in 2018, his first and solely Professional Bowl season, logging 125 tackles to go together with 4 sacks, three interceptions and 13 cross deflections throughout Los Angeles’ Tremendous Bowl bid. He posted stable numbers in two years with the Raiders, totaling 98 tackles and 4 cross deflections in 2021, however graded as considered one of Professional Soccer Focus’ worst beginning linebackers for a mercurial protection.

The Raiders will kick off 2022 with a brand new regime headlined by coach Josh McDaniels and common supervisor Dave Ziegler.