George Iloka has started 76 games for the Cincinnati Bengals the past five seasons, yet on Sunday he was reportedly released by the team in a stunning move.
A stunner: The #Bengals are releasing starting safety George Iloka, per @MikeGarafolo and me. He’s started every game he’s played in since 2013. Purely a financial decision, but a 28-year-old safety hitting the market at this point is good news for interested teams.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 19, 2018
Iloka was set to count $6.2 million against the cap this year. The Bengals are still on the hook for $2.1 million, per Spotrac, but this means they’ll save $4.1 million with this roster move.
A former fifth-round pick out of Boise State, Iloka has racked up 346 tackles, nine interceptions, 32 pass defenses and two forced fumbles so far in his career.
It is worth pointing out that second-round pick Jessie Bates out of Wake Forest has been working with the starting defense more and more recently, which likely had a lot to do with this surprising move.