New Orleans Saints har fritstillet wide receiver Marques Colston. Dermed siger holdet farvel til deres all-time leading receiver efter 10 sæsoner i sort og guld.

Colston blev draftet i 2006 sammen med Jahri Evans, som også denne off season er blevet fritstillet af Saints. Dermed er kun Zach Strief tilbage fra den gyldne draft årgang.

Colston nåede at grabe 711 bolde for Saints og nåede næsten 10.000 yards. Det blev til 9.759 yards ialt, men hele 72 touchdowns. Alle kastet af Drew Brees. Colston og Brees rangere også som den 5 bedste QB/WR duo i NFL historien.

The Quiet Storm som fans kalder Colston, blev draftet fra Hostra, som på nuværende tidspunkt ikke har noget football program mere. Han kom til Saints og havde for mange kilo på kroppen, men efter en opsang fra WR træneren Curtis Johnson, leverede Colston en imponerende training camp. Hvilket førte til at Saints handlede WR Donté Stallworth.

Med fritstillelsen af Colston sparer Saints 3,2 millioner dollars på deres salary cap.

Beyond blessed for the last 10 years. I needed a little more than 140 characters to get this out: https://t.co/Ar1L10eFi6

— Marques Colston (@MarquesColston) March 1, 2016

First, I want to thank the New Orleans Saints for providing me the opportunity to spend the last 10 years with such a first class organization. It truly is, and always will be, a dream come true for a young athlete out of Hofstra University.

…

Læs hele Colston besked her.

Reaktioner fra andre Saints spillere på Twitter.

Gonna miss my dawg Colston being around. We had some memorable sauna talks. Greatest Saints WR ever. Can't wait to see him in the ROH

— Kenny Dwayne Vaccaro (@KennyVaccaro4) February 29, 2016

@MarquesColston gone miss ya big bro learned a lot be blessed

— Khiry Robinson (@_numberthreeRB) February 29, 2016

#Salute to one of the greatest to play the WR position @MarquesColston it's been an honor bro. Stay Blessed. #Whodat ⚜

— Willie Snead IV (@Willie_Snead4G) February 29, 2016

My dog @MarquesColston is epitome of a true pro! Tremendous work ethic, great attitude, great leader. Most underrated ever! HOF career #s ??

— Mark Ingram II (@MarkIngram22) March 1, 2016

Great players and teammates @J_7TRE_E & @MarquesColston

— jairus byrd (@jairusbyrd) March 1, 2016

Much respect to you bro. #oneofthebest #1AA #quietconfidence https://t.co/3leUEdBxah

— Tim Hightower (@Tim_Hightower) March 1, 2016