A surprise cut out of Buffalo. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Bills have released veteran running back LeSean McCoy.

There had been rumblings of a potential divorce for several months. McCoy was entering the final year of his five-year, $40MM deal, and cutting the veteran would save the organization more than $6MM. While the organization had been touting McCoy as their 2019 starter throughout the offseason, some pundits wondered if the front office was simply trying to generate trade interest.

However, back in January, GM Brandon Beane made it clear that the running back was staying put.

“LeSean will come back in 2019 and we’ll go from there,” the GM said.

Despite their faith in McCoy, the organization still brought in a pair of inexpensive vets in Frank Gore and T.J. Yeldon. Third-round rookie Devin Singletary has also emerged as an intriguing piece during the preseason. Considering the financial discrepancy between McCoy and the other three running backs, the team decided to move on from their four-year starter.

While McCoy was productive during his first three years in Buffalo, he struggled in 2018. The 31-year-old finished the campaign with a career-low 3.2 yards per carry, compiling 514 yards and three touchdowns on 161 carries. He also hauled in 34 receptions for 238 yards.

McCoy still offers serious burst and cutting ability, even at his advanced age, so there’s reason to believe that he can get back to his old form in 2019. Several teams will surely kick the tires on the veteran, so he shouldn’t be a free agent for long.