Following the news that defensive end Darius Philon was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, the Arizona Cardinals announced after Saturday’s practice they had released the fifth-year veteran.
Philon was charged in a May incident at a Phoenix-area strip club. He allegedly threatened a dancer while pointing a handgun at her chest.
Philon signed a two-year, $10 million contract as a free agent in the offseason after four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. He had been praised all offseason for his work on the field.
The Cardinals already paid Philon $4 million in a signing bonus, and his $1 million salary in 2019 was fully guaranteed.
The Cardinals gain no cap relief with the release. His salary cap hit was $3 million this year, and the team will absorb a $3 million dead-money hit for this season. Because he is a post-June 1 release, the Cardinals will also carry $2 million in dead money in 2020 from his contract.
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