Lions release veteran guard and captain Lang, save $8.8M in cap space

The Detroit Lions released Pro Bowl guard and team captain T.J. Lang on Friday. Lang, 31, had one year left on a three-year contract signed in March 2017.

By cutting the suburban Detroit native, the Lions save $8.8 million in cap space and avoid paying him a $750,000 roster bonus that would have been due next week, according to ESPN. "We would like to personally thank T.J. Lang for his two seasons with the Lions. He represented everything you could want from a football player and team captain," Lions general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia said in a joint statement. "We all publicly saw him perform on the field at a very high level, but what was seen in the building every day was a player who had great leadership, professionalism and passion for the game of football.

"It meant a lot for T.J. to play in his home city and we have the utmost respect for him as a man. We wish T.J. and his family all the best in the future." Lang missed 10 games last season with a concussion and a neck injury.

A fourth-round pick by Green Bay in 2009, he played eight seasons with the Packers. He made the Pro Bowl in his final year with Green Bay in 2016 and in his first year with Detroit in 2017. Lang has played in 138 career games, with 113 starts.

(With inputs from agencies.)