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

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Two years after signing former Rams All-Pro Cory Littleton to a three-year, $35 million deal, the Raiders are set to release the starting linebacker, as ESPN and NFL Media reported Thursday. Las Vegas informed the 28-year-old Littleton this week that he will be cut when 2022 free agency officially begins March 16, according to Tom Pelissero.

Releasing Littleton will save the Raiders a minimum of $1.76 million this offseason, per Over the Cap. If, however, they designate him as a post-June 1 cut, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler expects, they’ll save a total of $11.75 million. The veteran linebacker was due roughly $15.8M this coming season, the final year of his lucrative deal.

Undrafted out of Washington in 2016, Littleton went from special-teams specialist to play-making inside linebacker during a four-year run with the Rams to start his career. He truly emerged in 2018, his first and only Pro Bowl season, logging 125 tackles to go along with four sacks, three interceptions and 13 pass deflections during Los Angeles’ Super Bowl bid. He posted solid numbers in two years with the Raiders, totaling 98 tackles and four pass deflections in 2021, but graded as one of Pro Football Focus’ worst starting linebackers for a mercurial defense.

The Raiders will kick off 2022 with a new regime headlined by coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler.



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