Former Alabama Tight End Released by the Buffalo Bills

Former star Alabama tight end OJ Howard is in search of a new home after being released by the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday. All teams must have their final cuts down to their 53 man roster in by 4 p.m. eastern time.

Per the terms of Howard's one year $3.5 million contract, $3.195 million was fully guaranteed, meaning the Bills will take a $2.62 million dead cap hit this year and $625K in 2023 to move on.

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Howard spent his first five seasons in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being selected 19th overall. He amassed a total of 119 catches for 1,737 yards and 15 touchdowns and was a part of the Super Bowl 50 winning team in his time with the organization.

After rupturing his Achille's tendon in October of 2020, Howard struggled to return to the field and the same level of production fans are used to seeing from him. The drop in production led to the Buccaneers choosing not to bring him back for 2022.

In addition to questions regarding his ability to return to his pre-injury form, reports out of Buffalo stated that Howard had looked sluggish in practice and had speculated that he was on the roster bubble for the last couple of weeks.

Howard will likely garner interest on the free agent market and have a new home at some point during the season.

During his time in Tuscaloosa, Howard caught 114 balls for 1,726 yards and 7 touchdowns. He was also a part of the 2015 national championship team.