The Green Bay Packers are heading to the NFC Championship Game on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. They have had an impressive season to say the least, although there have been some disappointments along the way. One of those disappointments is starting cornerback Sam Shields.
Shields went down with yet another concussion earlier this season and it forced him out for the rest of the year. He has had concussion issues throughout the majority of his career, but that isn’t the end of his troubles. Not only did he have injury issues this season, he also was arrested and charged with marijuana possession in October.
According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, the Packers are expected to release Shields this coming offseason.
Moving on from Shields will certainly put a strain on Green Bay’s secondary. It could even mean that they have to draft a cornerback as high early on in the 2017 NFL Draft, perhaps even as high as the first round.
During the seven seasons that Shields has played for the Packers, he has shown flashes of being a true shutdown corner. He compiled 214 total tackles to go along with 18 interceptions and 66 defensed passes. Shields was at one point considered one of the most talented cornerbacks in the entire NFL.
Green Bay will have to add some talent to their secondary moving forward. It has been obvious this season that they do not have the players necessary to match up against high-powered aerial attacks. Shields would have helped, to say the least, but the Packers can save $9 million in cap room by releasing him.
All of that being said, it won’t be surprising if the Packers decide to pull the trigger on releasing Shields. He may be a talented cornerback, but Green Bay cannot continue hoping that he stays healthy, especially with the off-the-field issues that he has gotten himself into.
Do you think the Green Bay Packers should release Sam Shields this coming offseason?
