Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Bills have released defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, the team announced on Friday.
After opting out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 related issues, Lotulelei returned to the Bills in 2021. However, availability became an issue.
After missing the opening week of the season with a calf injury, Lotulelei returned to play the next seven contests, but then played in only four of the remaining nine games due to both injuries and being on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
In those final three games he played (Weeks 15, 17, and 18), Lotulelei saw a drastic reduction in his usage, too. While he was normally playing around 50% of the snaps in previous contests, he never played more than 34% in any of those games, and topped back out at 43% in the Bills' AFC Divisional Round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Lotulelei had two years left on a contract that was going to cost the Bills north of $9.2 million in salary cap dollars this year, and just shy of $9 million in 2023. However, the team recently signed defensive tackles DaQuan Jones, Tim Settle, and Jordan Phillips, creating a crowded interior defensive line room.
Defensive tackle Harrison Phillips left via free agency to join the Minnesota Vikings.
The move clears $1.5 million off the Bills' 2022 salary cap, but will cost the team $7.7 million in 2022 dead cap space.
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