Cardinals release Darnell Dockett

The Arizona Cardinals released veteran defensive tackle Darnell Dockett, the team announced Friday.

Dockett, a third-round selection in the 2004 draft, has played each of his 11 NFL seasons with the Cardinals, recording 40.5 sacks and 349 tackles.

The Cardinals were thought to be pursuing a contract restructure in hopes of keeping him around, but parting ways saves them a much-needed $6.8 million against the salary cap.

Dockett is certain to receive plenty of free-agent offers despite missing the entire 2014 season due to an ACL injury, and as multiple reports indicate, returning to the Cardinals at a reduced rate after testing the open market is a realistic possibility.