The Baltimore Ravens have terminated the contract of backup linebacker and special teams player Brendon Ayanbadejo, the club announced.

“As a team, we place a high value on special teams, and Brendon was one of our top performers in that area for the last five seasons,” Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome stated. “He was one of the best special teamers in the league, but he was also a valued member of our defense, especially in our sub (substitute) packages. He became a leader for us, and the door may not be closed to bring him back to help us again.”

“Brendon was the first player we signed when we arrived in 2008, and he went to the Pro Bowl again that season,” head coach John Harbaugh added. “We considered him one of the foundations of our team, and he gave me sound counsel as one of our team leaders. He was a tremendous contributor to our success, both on [special] teams and for our defense over the last five seasons, including our Super Bowl two months ago. And, he was a pleasure to have on our team. We’ll stay in contact, I hope, but I’ll miss our regular conversations.”

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Terry McCormick covers the Titans for TitanInsider.com