News & Info/Headlines

The Redskins released running back Clinton Portis on Monday, ending a memorable 7-year run for one of the team’s top performers and personalities.

“Clinton provided excitement from the very first time he touched the ball as a Redskin and we were lucky to witness every ounce of energy, effort and passion he has given ever since,” owner Daniel M. Snyder said. “We have been through a lot both on and off of the field and we would like to wish him and his family the very best.

"He will always be a Redskin and go down as one of the franchise’s all-time greats.”

“I would like to thank the organization,” Portis said. "Dan [Snyder] and Mike [Shanahan] were honest, straight-up people with me. I always appreciated the opportunity from Dan to play here.

"Being a Redskin was a special part of my life. Coming and being in that organization, I turned from a kid having fun to a man carrying responsibilities. I tried to put the world on my shoulders for coach [Joe] Gibbs and the Redskins fans.”

As CSNWashington.com's Ryan O'Halloran noted, the end comes for Portis after a 2010 season in which he ran for a career-low 227 yards.

Portis, who turns 30 in September, told listeners during a radio appearance earlier today that he understands the NFL is a business and the Redskins simply decided he wasn’t worth the $8.3 million he would have been due during the 2011 season.

“There’s no hard feelings,” Portis said. “It was a mutual decision. They gave me the opportunity to re-do my deal or re-structure and continue to talk and try to make a move but for the organization and after seven years, for myself, maybe it’s best.”

Last Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine, Shanahan indicated that Portis’ high salary cap figure would factor into his future with the Redskins.

“With a guy like Clinton Portis, he’s a little bit different,” Shanahan said. “Here’s a guy with a high salary cap, and I’ve always dealt with it a little differently. If we’re not going to sign Clinton to that high salary, I’ll let him test the market out. Not to say that we don’t want him, but if we want him at a lower price, I always give him that option to go out [in free agency] and try to find the best deal.”

Injuries played a part in Portis’ departure as well.

Redskins.com staff writer Gary Fitzgerald reminded readers that the 29-year-old running back has suffered season-ending injuries the last two years and three of the last five years.

Indeed, Portis hasn't played a full season since 2008, when he rushed for 1,487 yards and nine touchdowns. The following season, he suffered a concussion and missed the last eight games. This past season, Portis played just five games. He started the first four, but suffered a third-degree groin pull in the first half of Washington's game at Philadelphia.

Portis missed the next six weeks, attempted a comeback against Tennessee, but on his fifth carry of the game, he tore a lower abdominal muscle, which required season-ending surgery.

All told, Portis played in five games and finished the 2010 campaign with 227 yards and two touchdowns on 54 carries. He also caught five passes for 55 yards.

Portis, 29, has rushed for 9,923 yards in his career, which ranks 26th on the NFL's career list, but he refutes the notion that his days as a feature back are over.

He disputed the notion that his body is worn down, calling his recent injuries “fluky,” and he indicated that he plans to play next season.

“I feel like I have a lot left in me,” he said. ...

It's safe to assume somebody will ultimately give him a chance to at least prove that contention in 2011 -- albeit not at his current rate of pay.

Portis, who joined the Redskins in March 2004 as part of a blockbuster trade that sent Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey to the Denver Broncos, Portis has rushed for 6,824 yards and 46 touchdowns since his arrival in Washington. Both of those totals are second-most in Redskins history behind only Hall of Famer John Riggins.

For his career, which includes two seasons in Denver, Portis has compiled 9,923 rushing yards, just 77 yards away from 10,000 for his career. He also has 247 receptions for 2,018 yards and five touchdowns.

Portis’ career yardage total is ranked 26th in NFL history. ...

Meanwhile, Portis' departure suggests the Redskins are ready to rely heavily on Ryan Torain in 2011.

That said, the Sports Xchange believes that Shanahan will add a veteran running back to compete with Torain, who needs to show he can stay healthy.