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In somewhat of a surprising move, the Denver Broncos released would-be starting safety T.J. Ward on Saturday prior to the 4 p.m. ET deadline to get rosters down to 53 men.

Troy Renck of Denver7 spoke to Ward, who confirmed his release. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network first reported the move.

The Broncos later shared a statement from President of Football Operations John Elway on Ward's release:

Ward posted a message on Twitter following the news:

On Tuesday, Rapoport first reported the team was interested in trading the veteran, while Mike Klis of KUSA noted Denver could release him if it didn't have any offers on the table.

Ward's former teammate Shaquil Barrett expressed his shock on his Twitter account after the news:

Linebacker Von Miller didn't agree with the plan, saying, "That's fake news. It's gotta be," per Vic Lombardi of Altitude TV. However, the Broncos still parted with Ward in order to take his $4.5 million base salary in 2017 off the books, per Spotrac.

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The team remains responsible for $1.25 million in dead money.

While the move made financial sense for Denver, Ward is still an impact player on the field. The strong safety has been selected to the Pro Bowl in three of the past four years and has been an instrumental part of one of the top defenses in the league.

He ranked second on the team with 87 tackles last season, helping the Broncos allow the fewest passing yards for the second year in a row. He also had one interception, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Two years ago, he was a key member of the team's run to a Super Bowl 50 title.

The 30-year-old hoped this was enough to earn himself an extension, saying in May, "I would love to finish my career here," per Renck.

Denver clearly didn't feel the same way and decided to release him before the start of the 2017 season on Thursday.

While Ward's talent is undeniable, one of his biggest questions is whether he can stay on the field. The safety has completed only one 16-game season in the last six years, missing seven regular-season games since joining the team three years ago. He has also missed most of the preseason with a hamstring injury.

The Broncos will now turn to second-year player Justin Simmons as the new starting safety with Williams Parks also earning a bigger role going forward.