(SportsRadio 610) - It was time for Whitney Mercilus to go.
Not to discredit him as one of the best Texans players ever, or to downplay his contributions to the Houston community.
Mercilus is a quintessential pro, an example for others and at one point was a very good football player.
But the Texans eventually realized that point has passed, and could no longer justify his place on their roster, especially during a rebuild.
Mercilus told reporters Tuesday that he had a conversation with general manager Nick Caserio and head coach David Culley about the direction of the team.
"It was a mutual thing where we just parted ways, so I'm just looking forward to what's next," Mercilus said. "It went smooth. Short, quick. Biggest thing I'm appreciative of is just not learning through Twitter or Facebook or something like that and then getting a call. As far as being able to look me in the eye and just tell me exactly what it is. And so I appreciate that."
Mercilus was the Texans' first-round pick (26th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft. He appeared in 134 games as a Texan, the third-most in franchise history.
Mercilus is second in franchise history in career sacks (57), tackles for loss (72) and forced fumbles (13). Mercilus had 13 games with two sacks or more, trailing only J.J. Watt, who had 26.
The Texans signed Mercilus to a four-year, $54 million extension in December 2019. Since then, as The Athletic's Aaron Reiss points out, Mercilus ranks 122nd out of 126 qualified defensive linemen in pressure rate.
It was far cry from his second-team All-Pro season in 2016.
Still, Texans CEO and chairman Cal McNair acknowledged Mercilus as a community leader and one of the most popular players in franchise history.
"There aren’t many players in franchise history who have impacted our organization and community the way Whitney Mercilus has," McNair said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon. "I can recall a number of times over the last 10 seasons where he stepped up for us on the field with a sack or big play in a crucial moment, but it was his unique connection with the Houston community that made him one of the most popular players in franchise history. Our fan base gravitated to Whitney from day one and he always found ways to give back and serve through his foundation and culinary work. My family and the entire organization will always consider Whitney a Texan."
Brandon Scott manages digital content for SportsRadio 610. Follow him on Twitter @brandonkscott.
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